Center Stage
by FrozenCenterStage
Summary: Anna Andersen, an up and coming costume designer in the theatre world, has taken a job as seamstress in residence at Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre in Denver, Colorado with help from her new love interest, Hans. She meets an unsuspecting friend within the theatre workshop, the resident set designer, and chemistry is ever-present. (rated M for later chapters)
1. Chapter 1

Anna hurried through the glass, double doors, covered in snow and shivering. She had been in Denver, Colorado for two weeks, and she had yet to see what the actual ground looked like. The snow hadn't stopped, but luckily, the citizens of Denver were well equipped when it came to handling the soft, white substance. She moved slowly as her bright blue orbs circled the lobby of the Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre; it was massive. Anna knew from Hans' brief description that this place was extravagant, but she had no idea that the word was a complete and utter understatement. Multiple staircases wound upwards, leading to second and third balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows completely covering the entirety of the front of the building. To her left was the box office, and to the right, a bar and lounge.

The strangest thing about the theatre was that it was deadly silent. No one was in the box office, no one was at the bar. She didn't even hear soft foot fall on the levels above her. Pushing her messenger bag further up on her shoulder, she slowly found her feet again and headed for one set of doors leading to the house of the theatre. If seeing the lobby was enough to take her breath away, the house killed her on the spot. It was modern, mostly straight lines, and box seats lined either sides of the walls. The stage was an empty, black hole, a blank slate ready to be used. She turned and looked up to see two different levels of balconies, and she idly wondered exactly how many the house held. She turned her way back towards the stage.

A single head of dirty blond hair stood out within the sea of red seats, a pair of boots propped up on the seats in front of the individual. A smile lit up Anna's freckled face as she moved eagerly for the first time, her tiny feet carrying her to the man in the fourth or fifth row. "Hello!" she called out enthusiastically. Nothing. Unfazed, she continued on, reaching his row. "Hi, excuse me, I was wondering if-" She stopped as the man held a hand up to silence her, not even taking the time to look at her. She frowned a bit, holding her hands at her waist, waiting awkwardly for permission to speak. The man looked to be her age. Broad shoulders, big feet, and a sketch book balanced in his lap.

"Could you not, just now?" his gruff voice asked as his pencil moved fluidly over the sketch pad. "I'm having a moment. You'll ruin the muse."

Anna held back an amused laugh with a snort. "'Muse'? Who even uses that word anymore?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood as she settled her weight on one hip, crossing her arms over her chest. She faltered when he suddenly looked at her, chocolate brown eyes locking on her blue ones. And for a single second, she could see something in his eyes shift, too, but it was gone in an instant.

He rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the stage with one big sigh. "And now it's gone. Perfect. Thank you." He placed his feet back on the ground and got up, walking down the row in the opposite direction.

"Oh, but wait!" she gasped, hurrying down the row after him, tripping over her own feet, the strap of her bag getting caught on the back of one of the seats. "Look, I can't find anyone else around. Hans said someone would be here to-"

"Hans?" It was like something clicked, and the blond seemed to become even more aggravated than before. Great, he thought, another one.

"Yes, pay attention," she said, following him out of the row and into the aisle. "I need you to take me to the costume shop. I'm the designer for the show."

"Well, you see, there's a problem with that, Red. I don't take people places. I design and build the sets, and then I go home. I'm not on the hospitality board, and I sure as hell don't arrange any tours. There's a map posted in the lobby, go find it yourself…" He continued down the aisle towards the stage.

"But-!" She stopped when her phone began to ring. She looked at the screen, relieved to see her boyfriend's name flash across. "Hans, hi! Where are y-" The set designer stopped at the lip of the stage, placing his sketchbook down, doing his best not to make any sudden movements so that he could hear the conversation. "But I thought you said someone would be here to show me… well, yes, Hans, I know you don't own the building… I know…" Her voice continued grow meek as she listened. The young man turned a bit to look back at Anna, her brows furrowed, looking like some injured puppy. "I just thought… When will you be here?" She looked at her watch. "Okay. I'm sorry to upset you…" At this, the blond made a face. The hell? She didn't do anything! "I'll just wait at the box office until someone comes around… Okay, bye. See you-" She pulled the phone away from her pale face to see he had already hung up.

The blond groaned internally at the sight of her and ran both hands through his hair. "Red!" he called out, looking up at the ceiling. Anna turned slowly to look at him, inquiring. "Follow me…" he grumbled. He finally looked at her to see the corner of her lips quirk up in a small smile before her tiny little feet carried her to him. "I'll show you the costume shop, and then you leave me alone. Got it?" She nodded eagerly, grin unperturbed. He sighed and led her up a small set of stairs bringing them to the stage. "I'm Kristoff, by the way…" he mumbled, disappearing through one of the wings.

The redhead smiled. "Anna."


	2. Chapter 2

Anna followed Kristoff in silence, doing her best to concentrate on which staircase to walk down, which hallways to take (was it left or right after the second flight?), and exactly how many doors it took to get to the one her guide was now opening. He opened the door and, out of habit, allowed her to enter first. Anna's face lit up; one wall was lined with dress and suit forms (perfect for building the structure of her costumes when no one was around to model), another wall lined by three tables, each with a sewing machine, all Singers. She noted that the last one was even computerized. There were two more rooms connected at the back wall, one with a plaque that read "Shoes," and another that read "Costumes," under which stated "(in order of time period)." Between those doors were what looked like a column of too-large paper towel holders, each one bearing a large bolt of different colored fabrics.

Anna was in heaven. "I might cry…" she breathed, walking in to run her delicate fingers over the first sewing machine she came to.

Kristoff snorted. "Don't worry; I won't judge." He couldn't help the insistent tug at the corner of his lips as he watched her drool over her new 'home.' It was clear to him that this was something she was really passionate about, and he had to give her credit. When she mentioned Hans, he expected her to be some inexperienced little girl who was just here to follow around the arrogant bastard like a puppy. Maybe he misjudged her. And maybe he needed to wait a bit longer than 10 minutes to assume anything about the young woman. "So… how do you know Hans?" He meant with everything he was to lead her here and put as much distance between them as possible. The best laid plans of mice and men…

Anna jumped slightly as he pulled her out of her dream-like state. "Oh. Hans?" She laid her messenger bag on the very large, metal table at the center of the room. "I met him when I moved here a couple of weeks ago. Ran into him at-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… You've only known him for a couple of weeks?" he interrupted, flabbergasted.

She paused a moment, tablet in hand. "Well… yeah. It was kind of love at first sight, I guess you could say," she said with a giddy sparkle in her eye as she looked towards the ceiling. "He told me that he was a well-known actor here, found out I was looking for a job in design, and told me this theatre was hiring for the next show. I did theatre in school, practically made all of our costumes, so it was perfect! Like fate!" she finished with a dreamy sigh.

Kristoff was at a loss for words. This was by far the most naive of all the "how I met Hans" stories he had heard in the last few years the guy had been performing at Kristoff's resident venue. Sure, his other victims would be upset by the end of it all, but Anna… she'd be ripped to shreds. No. No, no, no. You cannot get involved. She's just like every other poor fool that douche bag drags in for each season. Something very, very deep down told him he was wrong this time, but it pushed it aside. "Whatever," he sighed, running a hand over his face. "I'm going to leave you to it, then," he said, turning to walk out of the room.

"Wait, Kristoff?" He stopped in his tracks and winced. Slowly, he turned around, and she was closer this time, her cerulean eyes imploring as they seared right through his brown ones.

"Um," she began, unable to keep the blush from spreading through her freckled cheeks. "Do you… do you thing I could have your cell number?" she asked quietly, hesitantly. "I mean, not for personal reasons, mind you…" Oh, for the love, Anna, just get to the point! "…But because, well…" She sighed, fed up with herself. Just make a fool of yourself now, Andersen, to save you the trouble of doing it later. "I'm not exactly sure I know how to get back from here. It's like an underground labyrinth down here, and I may need to call you in case I get lost…?" She felt like she was on fire with embarrassment. How stupid she must sound!

Kristoff was quiet for a second or two before a hearty laugh escaped his lips. Damn, this girl was so ridiculously endearing! He hadn't smiled this much outside of Bulda's house in…well, he couldn't actually think of a time! "You're something else, Anna…" he mumbled, walking over to the center table and grabbing a nearby sketch pad. He scrawled his number onto the paper and made his way back to the door. "For directions only, got it Red? I don't have time for mindless chatter." He meant to be a hard ass about it, but that same, annoying tugging at his lips had her grinning, too.

She nodded, eyes bright. "Directions. Yes. Right. Got it." He shook his head, rolling his eyes, and Anna couldn't help but watch him until he was completely out of sight. He seemed like such a grump, but something told her he was nothing but a big teddy bear. She liked teddy bears. Many of her closest friends growing up were teddy bears. They were going to be good friends; she was going to make sure of it.

—

Kristoff cursed himself all the way back up to the main floor. Why did she have to ask for his number? He never extended the invitation for any kind of friendship with the actors, the crew, the staff. Just the few guys that helped him build, and that was because there wasn't much choice in the matter. Now his very own Effie Trinket had his number. He jumped as his phone vibrated in his pocket, a subtle "ding" to alert him of a message. He noticed he was standing center stage, unsure of how he actually got there. He took out his phone to see a message from an unfamiliar number. He had a good guess…

Sliding his finger across the notification, the message popped up.

[Hi… it's Anna. Thank you… :) ]

Without his consent, both corners of his lips tugged upwards into a full-blown smile.


	3. Chapter 3

A few hours later, Kristoff and Anna ended up on the stage, the redhead lying on her stomach, staring down thoughtfully at the ideas on her tablet, while Kristoff sat with both knees up, sketch pad on the floor between his legs, also carefully considering his creation. They discovered rather quickly that they could sit in each other's company silently quite comfortably. For the first hour she spent with him, she insisted he tell her more about himself, promising she'd do the same. He began quite awkwardly, but after a few minutes, he decided he didn't mind the girl. She actually listened, and surprisingly enough seemed interested in the things he had to say. It was when he mentioned his status as an orphan that Anna gasped.

"I'm an orphan, too!" she exclaimed with wide eyes. She hadn't ever met anyone else that had lost their parents before. And neither had he, except for his adopted brothers and sisters, but they were all much younger than he. "Well, you're not alone anymore," she had let him know, softly. He couldn't conceal the blush creeping up his cheeks as she looked back down at her tablet.

Now it was 5:45pm, and they both knew the cast of the show would be arriving soon. Kristoff noticed how Anna kept glancing at the house doors, no doubt waiting for Hans to appear. For some reason, this annoyed him, and he rolled his eyes, giving his attention back to his set sketches. Sure enough, five minutes later, the doors opened and in walked one of the theatre's directors, Hans following not too far behind, flanked with a group of girls. Kristoff watched with disdain as Anna's eyes lit up. She got up, dusted herself off and made her way down the stage left stairs down into the house. "Hans!" she called out. Five pairs of eyes glared at her as she threw her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek.

"Whoa, Anna, slow down…" he said with a dry chuckle, gently taking her hands and pulling them away from him. "Now is hardly the time or place," he chided. The group of girls giggled and continued down the aisle to the front row set of seats as Hans gripped Anna's hands a fraction tighter, pulling her closer so that he could whisper in her ear, though to Anna, it felt like more of a hiss. "Please try not embarrass me in front of my colleagues, Anna. Don't make me regret my decision to land you this job. Alright?" he added with a forced grin. He patted her hand and walked passed her to sit with the rest of the cast as they arrived. Anna watched him walk away, still in shock from the whole interaction. He didn't usually act that way. It was all she could do to keep him from undressing her when they were alone. Though she supposed they hadn't exactly been anywhere together in public quite yet. She was jolted out of her reverie as the director clapped her hands loudly.

"Alright, everyone! Let's get started! Up on the stage, we're going to begin with blocking 'At the End of the Day.'"

Anna watched as Kristoff got up and headed through the stage right wing, no doubt heading to the scene shop to get started on sets. Anna sighed and made her way to the staircase that led to what she now referred to as The Dungeon.

[15 minutes later]

Anna whimpered as she came to another dead end. Why couldn't she have paid attention the two times Kristoff had led her to and from the costume shop? You know why, said a little voice at the back of her head, Hans doesn't have shoulders like that… or such an ass for that matter! Anna shook her head. No, no, this would not do at all. She was with Hans, who was acting weird, but maybe he was just having a bad day. Stop looking at the grumpy set guy and do what you were hired to do. "Only one problem with that," she grumbled out loud to herself, backing against one of the walls, "Where the HELL is my room?!" She slid down to the floor, frustrated, lost, disheartened, and confused. Just as her forehead made contact with her arms that were folded over her knees, she heard footsteps.

"Do you generally make a habit of talking to yourself?"

"Kristoff!" She jumped back up to her feet. "Boy, am I glad you're here! This place is maddening!"

Kristoff chuckled and nodded his head down the corridor. "Yeah, I figured I'd come down and see if you had made it or not. I'm guessing not." He took her to the costume shop, and he noticed how uncharacteristically quiet she was. Looking down at her from the corner of his eye, he could see her wringing her tiny little hands around the other. Her brow was furrowed in deep thought, which would occasionally turn to worry, and then back again to concentration. It was almost as if she was having some kind of internal struggle with herself. Once to her Neverland of fabric, Kristoff leaned in the doorway as she began doing her thing, still quiet and focused. "Hey, Feisty Pants…" He waited for her to look up at him with inquiring eyes. Damn those crystal blue hues that pierced right through him. "You okay? I know I've only known you for about a day, but your silence is seriously unnerving."

A small smile tugged at her lips, but it never reached her eyes. "You know… friends tend to ask friends if they're alright when they sense something is wrong…" she hinted, glancing up at him.

Kristoff rolled his eyes. Earlier that morning when he invited her up to the scene shop, she had followed him around, being purposefully annoying and insisting that they were going to be the best of friends. She could 'feel it in her bones!' After half a dozen 'Nopes' and a few 'I'm a loner's' later, he had turned to her and said, "Hey, I know, let's play the silent game!" which resulted in their quiet time on the stage.

After a moment, he sighed and walked into the room, pulling a stool up to the center table and placing his elbows on the table, his chin in his hands, looking across at the redhead. "I will 'consider' being friends with you," he teased, "if you tell me what's wrong. Not that I care or anything," he added quickly, sitting up straight. "I just can't have you moping around the theatre, breathing bad vibes into the wood of my set pieces."

Anna snorted. "Kris, that is the weirdest thing you've yet to say…!" He blushed at the shortening of his name.

"Anna…"

"Okay, fine!" she groaned and plopped down on a stool of her own across from her new friend. "Hans was acting weird up there just now…" she muttered, avoiding eye contact as she traced random objects on the metal table top with her finger. Kristoff could feel his body tensing just at the guy's name. He gave her a curt nod to go on, although he knew it was a bad idea. There was no positive way to respond when it came to Hans. She sighed and shook her head. "Never mind. I'm being silly," she said with a small laugh. Before he could register what in the world he was doing, Kristoff stood, reaching over the table to catch her chin between his thumb and index finger, forcing her gently to look up at him.

"Hey… chin up, Red. Everything happens for a reason," he added, pointedly.

Anna didn't move. His soft, brown eyes bored into hers, and she found comfort there. Something she never saw in the eyes of… others. "Thank-" She cleared her throat. "Thank you." And with that, he was gone.

Anna took Kristoff's encouragement in strides. She was completely focused on the costumes, everything coming together quite nicely, that time seemed to fly away from her. Had it really been two weeks? It seemed only ten minutes since rehearsal had started upstairs when she felt thin fingers slither across her waist. She screamed, startled, and she heard something snap. She stood and spun around in said hands, looking up to see, "Hans!"

He chuckled lightly, pulling her close, his lips landing just below her ear. Irritated about being scared mixed with the confusion about Hans' suddenly affectionate mood change (he had been distant and cold since rehearsals had begun a fortnight ago), Anna placed her hands on his chest and pushed him gently away. "Stop…" she muttered, pulling out of his grip to turn her attention back to her sewing machine. "Ohhh, no!" she whimpered, leaning over to look at the presser foot, "the needle broke!"

"Who cares?" His voice was deep and gruff as he moved his hands to grasp her rear. Again she jumped, stumbling over her chair as she backed away from him.

"I care, Hans!" she hollered. If she had blinked, she would have missed the strike entirely. He was gripping her forearm with such force that she could almost feel it bruising. Her eyes were wide with terror, another whimper escaping her lips.

"Don't. You. Dare-"

"Anna?" Kristoff rounded the corner just as Hans dropped her arm. He frowned at the scene in front of him, fire catching in his blood.

"What do you want, Bjorgman?!"

"Firstly, I'd like to remind you of the 15 ft barricade you get to spend half an act climbing over. More importantly the genius who builds it." Anna's heart was pounding in her chest as she watched the two. What was happening? "Secondly-"

Someone's phone began to ring. Hans glared at Kristoff and took his phone from his pocket and answered his phone. "Hello? Yeah, hold on…" He covered the receiver and looked back at Anna. "We'll finish this later." He placed a hard kiss on her head before storming out of the costume shop, Kristoff stepping clear out of his way, his eyes never leaving Anna.

He waited a moment before moving towards her. "Are you okay, Anna?" he asked softly, concern lining his lovely irises. She turned away from him, looking at the broken needle. Why had she pushed Hans away? She welcomed affection, in any fashion or form. Was it because she was disappointed that it turned out to be Hans? Had she been expecting, desiring someone else's strong, calloused hands? She couldn't answer her own question. She wouldn't.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm fine," she muttered, reaching for the thread at the presser foot, snapping her wrist in a quick little movement, breaking the thread. "I'm perfect."

Kristoff wasn't fooled for a moment. He knew something had happened. He had heard her yell at that rat bastard before he called out her name. "Oh," he said, sliding his hands in his pockets, looking around and rocking back and forth on his heels. "I guess that means you feel 'fine' enough to go grab some ice cream, then?" he asked knowingly, grinning at the back of her head.

She was still a moment before turning to look over her shoulder, her face serious, those pink, perfect lips of hers puckered in a small pout. "Chocolate?" she asked quietly.

"Anna…" he sighed in a dramatic tone, "is there any other kind?"

And there it was; he watched as her bottom lip slowly folded itself between her teeth as she turned around slowly, grinning. It was then that he knew. He was smitten. And damn it, he had to contain it for four more weeks. Arguments aside, she was still taken.

Anna grabbed her bag before curling her fingers into his sleeve, tugging impatiently. "Come on, then! Chocolate waits for no one!" He grinned, following her out of the costume shop, feeling like he was on top of the world after bringing a smile back to her perfect lips.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, who's this one for?"

"Cosette." Anna looked up at the platinum blond standing before her on a small, square wooden platform that Kristoff had made for her, to make hemming easier. "When we first see her as a young woman, just before she meets Marius for the first time," she explained with a smile.

Anna's model shook her head in wonder, looking down at the baby blue, period dress. "It's stunning, Anna…" she complimented, flashing her sister a smile.

"Thank you, Elsa."

A shrill squeal ripped through the Andersen sisters' apartment when Elsa had offered her assistance to Anna, should she need it, for the costumes. It was the perfect excuse to bond with Elsa, now that they had been reunited. They never discussed the years that they were separated. Never discussed Elsa's sickness. She was better now, on the right combination of medications, and it was time to start over. The past was in the past. There was nothing to be done but let it go.

A comfortable silence crept over them again as Anna stood from her stool, a line of straight pins between her lips, moving over to kneel before Elsa. "So… when are you going to let me meet him?" the blond asked, smirking down at her little sister. Anna's attention never moved away from the dress's hem as she pinned it up just a fraction higher.

"How perfectly vague of you, Elsa," she replied through the pins held by her teeth. She felt her stomach tighten. Anna knew very well who she meant. But sometimes being a smart ass was just too fun to pass up. Making up for lost time, you know.

Elsa sighed. "Oh, yes, very cute, Anna," she said, laughter in her voice. "You know who I mean. It's definitely not the ass that put his grimy little hands on you that night in here." She bent her knees, resting on her haunches, putting a halt to Anna's work. She tilted her head down, trying to get those pretty little blue eyes to look at her before she went on. Ah, there they are. "You know… the set designer. If I remember correctly," she continued, looking up in thought," he's tall, blond, handsome with broad shoulders and big feet," she emphasized the last two words, grinning wickedly.

Anna was glaring at her by now, a small pout tugging at her lips. "Stand up straight, Elsa," she muttered through her teeth. Elsa stifled a giggle and did as told. "FIRST of all, Hans apologized. I told you that. Everything is fine, we're just… in a weird place." Elsa scoffed and rolled her eyes. "SECOND, you know I had too much wine that night. I couldn't help the foolish things that kept rolling off my tongue, and you know it!"

"I encouraged it!" she laughed.

"And third…" she moved on, much more quietly, Elsa noticed, "his name is Kristoff…"

"Oooh, Kristoff!" Elsa sang, holding her hands up to her heart.

Anna tried to look angry, but failed, as she swatted at her sister's leg before standing up. "It's not like that! I swear, I will stab you with these pins if you don't cut it out!" she said with a laugh. She moved her hands up towards Elsa, acting as though she was going to poke her in the face with the pins in her hand, and the blond giggled and countered her attack by holding on to Anna's wrists, pushing her away. They both fell apart in a fit of giggles.

"Did…I hear my name?" Kristoff stood in the doorway holding two go cups of coffee.

Anna nearly jumped out of her skin as she whipped around with a little "Ow!", blue orbs wide, as Elsa straightened up, hands held in front of her. Elsa snorted in attempt to keep the laughter in. Anna's face was almost red as her hair. "Oh, well…" she began hurriedly, "I was just telling her… the names of some of the crew members. Of people I've met! Yeah. Ouch!" She looked down at her hands where the straight pins had dug into her palms, and by the time she looked back up he was moving towards her.

"Are you okay?" He set the cups down on her sewing table and took her hands before she could protest. Elsa raised an eyebrow, smirking, as she moved her arms to cross over her chest, a small hip jutting to the side.

"I'm fine…" Anna managed just above a whisper, her wide eyes locked on his face in minor shock as his chocolate hues focused on her hands.

He let out a chuckle, pulling the pins from their shallow make-shift home in Anna's palm. "What am I gonna do with you, Anna?" he asked, laughter in his voice as his eyes met hers. Now it seemed like they were both stuck.

"I have a few suggestions," Elsa chimed in, raising her hand.

"Elsa!" the redhead hissed, snapping her head towards her sister, removing her hands from Kristoff's.

"Huh?" Kristoff was confused, but it didn't keep the blush from his cheeks.

Elsa stepped down from the platform and extended her hand. "I'm Elsa. Anna's older sister. You're Kristoff, I assume?" she asked with a smile as he briefly shook her hand. "Anna's told me all about you."

"Has she?" He couldn't look over at her. Anna silently raised her hands in defeat, shaking them at the ceiling. She moved to the other side of the table, grabbing a nearby top hat that would belong to a second act Jean Valjean, and placing it on her head and crossing her arms over her chest. It was too big of course, and slumped over her eyes.

"Well, yes. I mean, just basics, really. She mentioned being fascinated by your vision of the show's sets, so naturally, I asked more questions." Kristoff was still frozen on the spot. Why was he so intimidated by such a tiny woman? "That and she told me about you cheering her up with some ice cream after that moron upset her."

Kristoff finally cracked a grin. Now the blond had his attention and his utmost respect. He shrugged nonchalantly, feeling comfortable, now. "It was nothing." He looked over at Anna and snickered at her hat and stubborn posture. He grabbed a cup of coffee and stood in front over her. He lifted the hat from her head to reveal the top part of her face and placed it on the table. "I brought you some coffee," he said gently. "Noticed that big mouth of yours yawning every 30 seconds this morning while everyone was gathered in the house," he smirked.

Anna finally allowed herself to glance up at him with a little glare, though the warmth of his thoughtfulness didn't go unnoticed by the butterflies in her stomach. She sighed, rolling her eyes at his lopsided grin. "Thanks," she muttered, grinning as she took the cup. Another staring match ensued and Elsa cleared her throat, swearing she saw both of them physically jump.

Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck, looking away as he grabbed his own cup, backing towards the door. "But yeah, I was just coming down to let you know that Alice," (she was the director), "wants you upstairs to do a costume parade with the cast to make notes of any last minute fixes or additions, and to see who is missing what."

Anna smiled and nodded. "Ok, thanks. I'll be up in a bit."

Kristoff nodded and turned to leave, pausing in the doorway before looking back at her over his shoulder. "Think you can find your way?" he teased.

"It's been three weeks, Kris, I think I can manage," she replied with a playful glare, and he was gone.

Anna let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and rounded on Elsa. "YOU, madam, are in soooooo much trouble!" Elsa laughed, watching the flustered ginger snatch up a pen and notepad. "Take off that dress and let's get this stuff upstairs…"

—

The cast was finishing up a scene as Anna and Elsa made their way into the house of the theatre. The racks of costumes were in their respective dressing rooms, so now all there was to do was to wait until it was her turn run the parade. She and Elsa found a spot on the 6th row, Kristoff in a seat on the opposite end of said row. It looked like they were at one of the main love scenes between Cosette and Marius. Hans was, of course, Marius. Anna hadn't seen the show in quite some time. She wasn't expecting the kiss, so when it happened, she couldn't help the plummet her heart made to her stomach. Not only that, but the kiss wasn't ending. She felt herself sink down in her seat as the director laughed.

"Alright, alright, that's enough, kids, we get it!" Alice called, still chuckling a bit as Hans and the blond pulled away.

"You're so bad," the blond Cosette teased, swatting at Hans' arm as he smirked down at her. Anna's stomach turned, and she could feel a pair of eyes glancing at her from either side of her, but she refused to look.

"Go get changed into your first costumes and get back on stage," Alice yelled to the cast. "Anna's going to make sure you all have what you need. Once she's done with you, you're free to go for the night. Great job!" The theatre filled with chatter as everyone went in different directions, laughing and sharing inside jokes with one another.

Anna stood, scooting passed Elsa to make her way to the lip of the stage, looking rather empty. Elsa gently grasped her wrist. "Anna…"

"It's just acting, Elsa," she hissed, a little sharper than she meant to. "Just let it go."

The actors came up one by one to let Anna inspect them, making sure they had everything on correctly, that all of their accessories were present. She noticed halfway through that Elsa and Kristoff were sitting next to each other in the house, talking, causing her face to burn. Everything in her head was a jumble of emotion. Chocolate eyes, a realistic stage kiss, ice cream, advances in the costume shop, coffee… She shook herself out of her thoughts as Hans stepped up for his turn. He didn't say anything, and neither did she at first. "Are we still on for dinner tonight?" she asked quietly as she fixed his cuffs.

"Oh, Anna…" he said, hesitating insincerely. "We're all going out for drinks when we're done here. I'll have to take a raincheck. I'm sorry."

"Well, that sounds fun!" she said, putting on a cheerful face. "Could I be your plus one?"

"Ooo…actually," His voice sounded so condescending, "it's a cast thing. Something we do as a group. You understand." He straightened his collar, everything looking perfect. Anna forced a smile and nodded as he patted her hand and walked away.

She walked back over to Elsa once she was finished, and she and Kristoff both stood. "Everything looked fantastic, Anna," Kris said, giving her a sincere smile as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Anna allowed a small grin. "Thank you, Kristoff." She turned to Elsa. "Are you ready?"

"I thought you had dinner plans with Hans?"

Anna shook her head. "Something about a cast outing or something. I can't go because I'm not a member of the cast… I think he just broke up with me…?" Elsa noticed her lower lip begin to quiver and she looked quickly to Kristoff, a look of pity on her face. He didn't hesitate.

"Hey, I was going to go see that new movie that came out today. Maybe grab some dinner before or after. Would you ladies care to join? We can get chocolate for the movie," he added, nudging Anna's shoulder with his own.

The look in her watery eyes as they met his nearly broke his heart. "You mean it?"

He put an arm around her and hugged her to his side. "You betcha, Feisty Pants."

The three made their way to the lobby, pulling on their coats before stepping out into the snow. Kristoff pulled his phone out to call a cab, and Elsa took Anna's hand in hers. "Everything's going to be fine, Little Snowflake," she whispered, placing a little kiss on her baby sister's hair. Anna nodded and gave a small smile before feeling a vibration in her pocket. She pulled out her phone to see a text from Kristoff.

[Tonight is my treat. No arguments. Got it?]

She looked up to see him smiling warmly at her as a cab pulled up. Her heart was resurrected from the depths of her stomach, fluttering once more in her chest.


	5. Chapter 5

It wasn't long before Elsa and Kristoff had Anna in a fit of giggles in the back of the cab. He never realized just how infectious her smile was. His old grumpy self was long gone when this fiery redhead was around, and…well, he liked it. He liked her. There was no denying it now. The moment the desire to kick Hans' skinny little ass, kill him even, was when he knew. He had never hated someone so much in his entire life.

"Earth to Kristooooooff," sang a sweet voice that immediately had his undivided attention. He looked down to Anna, sitting in the middle seat, a shy smile dancing on her lips. "You got awfully quiet there, Mr. Comedian. What in the world are you thinking about?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Just set stuff. Need to lay out a painting schedule for the guys…"

It was Anna's turn to shake her head. "Nope, no, it is now the weekend. You are not allowed to think about anything back at that theatre. Not the sets, not the costumes," He could hear the sudden edge to her voice as she went on, "Not the scheming bastards that-" She stopped, looking down to see Kristoff's big hand gently gripping her wrist to quiet her. She shifted her gaze slowly upwards until she met his. They had to stop meeting like this.

"Hey… relax," he told her softly, his thumb absently running across the back of her hand. "I promise."

He quickly pulled his hand away, glancing out the window, when a phone rang. Elsa, who had been texting furiously the passed few minutes, answered the phone in a stern voice. "What part of the article's deadline were you so unclear about?" she hissed at the phone. "This is the third time this quarter. I've given you second and third chances, and if you don't dig yourself out of this hole, you're on your own." She sighed as the other person took a turn to speak. "Shit…Fine. But this is the last time, and you owe me BIG."

About fifteen minutes later, it was now just Kristoff and Anna. Elsa had to take care of a work emergency and apologized profusely to the two. Kristoff assured her that he would get Anna home safely and that they would be fine, although he was slightly mortified when Elsa flashed him a wink before closing the cab door. Anna received a text not one minute later.

[Hang on to that one; he's the honest goods! ;) ] Anna blushed, sinking down in her seat, letting out a groan.

"We can do this another time if you would rather it be the three of us…" The two had been nearly inseparable at the theatre the passed three weeks, but never saw the other outside the building. Everything about the theatre was home to him, so he couldn't help but feel scared shitless out of his element.

"No!" she gasped. Wide-eyed, she cleared her throat. "I mean, no, that's not necessary. I need the distraction," she said, grinning up at him.

"Ok. Good." He smiled back at her. "I mean, not that it's good you need a distraction, but that you still want to go out. Not that we're going OUT…Crap."

Anna giggled as the cab pulled up to the cinema. "You're so weird, Kris."

"You have no idea…"

He offered her his hand to help her out of the car, letting go as soon as he was sure those clumsy little feet of hers were planted firmly to the ground. They walked up to the ticket booth in silence. Kristoff paid for their tickets, and once inside, he had to remind her about their deal.

"Um, no Feisty," he said, pushing her money-clad hand back into her purse. "I'm getting this, remember?"

"Oh, come on, at least let me get the snacks!" She gave him a serious look as she pointed at her flat stomach. "Don't let this fool you; I can pack in some chocolate!" That made him chuckle.

"Anna, stop…" he grabbed at her hands while she pulled them away, grinning wide and giggling.

"YOU stop!" she laughed, snorting, even, as she saw the annoyed look on the concession worker's face.

"Alright, that's it!" She had turned away from him, so he wrapped one arm around her middle, imprisoning her arms in the process. When he stood straight, her feet came off the ground. "KRISTOFF!" she shrieked, which earned them some stares, but they couldn't care less; they were having fun. He got the candy, some extra chocolatey stuff for his prisoner, and headed into their theatre.

"You know you can put me down now…"

"Mmm… nope. I don't trust you."

Once he shimmied them into his chosen row, he let her down, earning him a big smack in the arm. "Rude!" She stuck her tongue out at him and plopped down in her seat, doing such a terrible job trying not to smile.

Kristoff laughed and sat next to her, dumping the candy in her lap, watching her eyes light up. "Hey, you're not thinking about it, though, are you?" he asked with a smirk.

"About what?" she asked, confused, a handful of M&M's already in her mouth.

"Exactly."

The movie was alright. It wasn't great. And Kristoff could tell that Anna was feeling she same way. She was fidgeting, couldn't sit still, not for the life of her. He heard her huff decidedly, her hand landing on the arm rest between them, and she was still. He cut his eyes to the side, swallowing a lump in his throat as he looked down at her hand. Just sitting there, out in the open. Minutes passed. It was still there. He had stopped paying attention to the movie a long time ago, so when she softly sighed, he heard it loud and clear, like a gust of wind.

What a stupid movie. The plot didn't even make sense. The acting sucked, and Anna found herself getting restless. She shifted this way and that, trying to get comfortable and thanking the Cinema Gods for gracing her with a squeak-less seat. All of a sudden, she was very aware of the huge mountain of a man sitting next to her. A slide show reeled in her head; his hand on hers in the cab, covering her ticket and chocolate, picking her up (which gave her a thrill she never knew could exist before), and Elsa's text. The honest goods. She was now positive that she wanted his attention again. And this movie was ruining that. She wanted him to take hold of her hand. She was cold after all. With a knot in her gut and brows furrowed in determination, she finally settled her hand on the arm rest, letting out a huff. Here goes nothing.

And she was still. One minute. Two. Nothing. Her confidence began to wane, and she felt her fingers curl self-consciously. How dumb to think that he'd be the slightest bit interested. She began to pull her hand back to her lap when warm, strong, calloused fingers wrapped around her tiny, thin ones. Her eyes darted to their hands, a rush of heat flooding her face. Thank you once more, Cinema Gods, for this exceptionally dark theatre. Her heart was racing, skipping a beat when he pulled her hand into his lap, now wrapped in both strong hands, and he leaned over to whisper, "Your hands are cold…"

Another wave of heat as a grinned stretched across her lips. She pulled one leg underneath her, helping her lean more towards him as she leaned up to his ear. "Not anymore…" She took advantage of her position and rested her head against his shoulder, placing her free hand on his forearm. It was soon covered by his other hand. Anna's head was buzzing. Kristoff's fingers were tingling.

Best. Movie. Ever.


	6. Chapter 6

"That has got to be the worst movie I've seen in a LONG time! Possibly ever," the petite redhead added, sliding another slice of pizza on her plate.

"Ever, huh?" Kristoff replied with an amused smile. He sighed, leaning back in the booth of the small pizzeria, unable to stuff anymore pizza into his mouth. It was one of the things he truly liked about her. She ate in front of him, and she didn't care how much. He hated it when girls would order salad, 'dressing on the side!' and eat maybe half the bowl. It was obnoxious and unrealistic, especially considering they probably binge ate once they were alone in the comfort of their apartments.

Anna had just taken a big bite of cheesy pizza when she realized he was staring at her. She looked from side to side. "What?" she asked with a full mouth, cheeks turning red.

"Oh, nothing," he said, grin spreading into a wide smile as he laced his hands behind his head, leaning back. "I just love a girl who can eat."

Luckily, Anna seemed to have other things on her mind, and she missed a compliment. "Hans would think this is gross." Kristoff immediately tensed, letting his hands fall back down to his lap. She put her slice of pizza down and wiped her mouth, staring down at her plate. "He always ordered for me. I mean, I like salads, don't get me wrong, but sometimes a girl needs her comfort food…"

"Anna, look at me…" He waited until blue locked with brown. "The second, and I mean the very second, someone else tells you how to live your life is the second you block them out forever." He cleared his throat, his turn to look away. "In my opinion, of course."

Anna smiled at him. "Thanks, Kris."

After leaving the pizzeria, Kris hailed another cab after Anna had finally convinced him that they should go ice skating. He just kept thinking about how clumsy she was, and that it would probably mean she'd be glued to his side. That was basically his only reason for saying yes. That and it was a request made by Anna Andersen.

His phone rang as he crawled into the cab after Anna, and he answered it, the cell glitching to speaker phone. "Hey, Ma…" he muttered, trying to turn the speaker phone option off.

"Hey, baby! What are you up to?" she asked cheerfully.

Kristoff's face was slowly turning the color of the red light they were currently stopped at, and Anna grinned at him before looking out the window. "Uhh…" The damn speaker phone wasn't turning off. The screen wouldn't even light up. "I'm out with a friend, Ma," he replied vaguely. Please don't ask more questions!

"Oh, Kristoff, you've found you some friends?!"

His palm smacked his forehead. "Mom, you know I have friends, I just-"

"Is it that cute Anna girl you've been talking about so much lately? Did my baby finally ask her out?!"

Anna's eyes flew open, wide, as she turned her head to look down at the phone in his hand, then up to a very red, very flustered Kristoff. He ran a hand over his face and slid down in his seat, letting out a miserable groan. Why him? Why now? Oh, Death, where is thy sting?! I NEED IT TO END MY LIFE IMMEDIATELY.

"Kristoff?"

"No, Mom, can I just… I'll call you later!" he yelled at the phone before yanking out the battery. A furnace. That's all the cab was, a mobile furnace. "Hey, would you mind pulling over here?" he asked the driver, throwing him some money. He needed air, he needed cold, he needed ice.

"Kristoff?" Anna's face, which had turned to an amused expression, was now turning to concern. "Kris, are you okay?"

He said nothing as the car stopped, and he reached for her hand, tugging her -gently, always gently- out with him. "Just needed some air," he muttered, letting go of her hand, leaving Anna mourning the loss.

"Hey, c'mere…" She took his hand back and pulled him towards a park bench, sitting him down, facing him. He did look quite warm, even though she was shivering. She leaned down to scoop up some snow as he moved to take off his coat, and as she leaned back up, he gently tossed his coat around her shoulders. He paused as she looked up at him, his hands still gripping the collar on either side, her hands cupping a ball of snow. For the first time, Anna decided not to look away. There was still that flush of her cheeks, yes, but she smiled up at him shyly. Kristoff kept hold of either side of his coat, and the moment she began scooting closer, he pulled gently to help her. She took a chunk of snow in her palm and held it up to his cheek, her heart skipping a beat at his sharp intake of breath as the ice made contact. She held her hand there, flattening her palm against the snow and stubble. "Can I ask you a question, Kristoff?"

He feared that if he moved his head in any way, she would pull away. So he had to make himself speak. "Yeah…" His mouth was dry as cotton. Her thumb moved across his cheekbone and back, giving him chills.

She bit her lip, glancing down before meeting his eyes again. "How did your mom know I was cute?" she asked softly, her lips curling into a playful smirk.

Kristoff squeezed his eyes shut, emitting another groan. "God, Anna, I am so sorry you had to hear all that…" he said miserably, letting go of the coat.

"No, no, it's okay!" she answered quickly, moving her other palm of snow to his neglected cheek in hopes of keeping him close. "I just..thought that maybe you…"

"Anna, I think it's pretty clear how she knows," he said. She looked up at his eyes again, and they were unwavering. He was giving in. It was her turn to gasp as he reached up to cup her face as well. "You are loud, clumsy, obnoxious, charming, kind, creative, feisty… cute." He laughed dryly. "No, stunning, Anna. You're perfection." Her hands fell of their own accord to rest on his chest, her cold little fingers gripping slightly at his shirt. "You deserve so much better than that bastard back at the theatre. Honestly, I'm not sure if anyone deserves you…" He brushed a stray hair from her face, and before they both knew it, their noses were brushing.

Her phone rang, and she jumped slightly, looking down, and their foreheads rested against the other. She sighed, hitting the reject button, closing her eyes. "It's Elsa," she whispered before opening her eyes and pulling away to look up at him. "Probably wondering where I am…"

He nodded, silently wishing he could throw both their phones into the partially frozen, little lake behind them. "Come on. We're a block or two from my apartment. I have a truck. If I could let my dog out really quickly, then I'll get you home." He stood up and she quickly followed.

"Kristoff…" He looked down at her, and she faltered, taking his hand and looking at it with interest. "I honestly don't know where… he and I stand right now," she began with difficulty. "And until I get that taken care of… until I can break it off officially…" she sighed. "I just don't want to be one of those girls.."

Kristoff smiled, his spirits lifting slightly. He hoped she meant what he thought she meant. He lifted her chin with his finger. "Hey… I know. I understand." He spun her around to face forward with the hand she was clinging to and wrapped his arm around her and his coat. "Now let's work on getting you home." Anna blushed and grinned, timidly wrapping her arm around his waist.

—

When Kristoff opened his apartment door, Anna didn't even get a glance at the inside before she heard the click click click of claws on hardwood floor, and it was coming right for them. She watched the blond kneel down and catch a gorgeous, long-haired chocolate lab, trying to avoid too many licks in the face. "Hey, Sven! Hey boy!" He scratched the dog behind the ears, Sven's tongue lolling out. "Were you a good boy to-HEY!" Sven slipped under his arm, causing Kristoff to lose balance and fall back on is ass, as he stood on hind legs to get to Anna. She giggled, taking his paws and kneeling down so they were both on the ground, hugging him as he licked her face.

"Oh, my, what a handsome boy!" she exclaimed, scratching under Sven's collar.

Kristoff smirked and stood up, brushing off his pants. "Why, thank you."

"With such a conceited daddy!" she added in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Hey, don't talk to him like that," he said flatly, moving behind her and lifting her to her feet under her arms. "Now get your skinny little ass inside."

A laugh bubbled in her throat as she skipped over the threshold with Sven. "Been looking, have you?" she teased over her shoulder.

"No comment…" It was a humble little place. A studio apartment, basically one large room. A bar separated the kitchen from the living room, and on the other side was his bed. Green garland wrapped in white Christmas lights draped every possible ledge and shelf. A gorgeous fir three stood in the far corner of the living room, beautifully decorated in reds, golds, browns, and bronze. Other various decorations graced the tables and fireplace.

"It's lovely," she said, smiling back over at him.

He blushed and shrugged. "I refused to decorate this year, so my ma and little brothers and sisters took care of it one afternoon while I was out." He was fiddling with Sven's leash in his hands. "I consider myself to be pretty lucky." He took a moment to gaze over her entirety, clicking save in his brain, taking a mental picture of her petite perfection before holding out his hand to her. "Come on, Red. Let's get you home before you turn into a pumpkin."

—

Anna felt like she was in high school again, her first date walking her to the door. But this was different. So much different, and so much better. She turned to look up at the broad shouldered blond that walked her up the stairs because "What if you get cold on the way up?"

"Then I'll just keep your coat," she grinned.

"That'd be far too easy, Freckles."

"Well… this is me," she said softly. Could this night please just never end?

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Of course you will, dumb ass, it's two weeks before the show!

Anna grinned and closed the distance between them. She placed her hands on his biceps, taking the opportunity to feel just what was under there. Her fingers were not disappointed. She stood on her tip toes and kissed Kristoff's cheek, lingering, a promise for something more in the future. But for now, this was just fine by him. What startled him was when she pulled her lips away and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He circled his arms around her waist after a brief moment of shock and hugged her tightly back. "Thank you for tonight…" she whispered in his ear, giving him chills for the umpteenth time.

And in a blink of an eye, they were separated by her apartment door. He grinned to himself as he made his way down the stairs, skipping steps two at a time.

She was still wearing his coat.


	7. Chapter 7

Anna leaned back against the door and sighed, grinning up at the ceiling before clenching her fists and shaking them silently at her chest as she let out whispered giggles. She had never felt like this before, not even with Hans. Sure, he had had his charming moments, especially when they had first met, but lately he ran so hot and cold. And to be quite honest, Anna didn't have time for all of that.

She continued on into the apartment, twirling here, skipping there, and by the time she was in the middle of the living room, the lights cut on. Anna jumped so hard, she fell back onto the coffee table, both flipping backwards onto the floor. "Ow…"

"Anna!" Elsa, who had just wanted to play 'Mom and Dad' while waiting for her to get home, jumped up from the couch and ran over to her sister, who was sprawled out halfway on the floor, her legs thrown over the sideways coffee table. "Oh, Anna," she said, trying to look so worried. She couldn't help the laughter building up inside of her when she saw the playful glare on Anna's face. Because who was she kidding? After her night, nothing could upset her! "I'm so sorry, I was trying to be silly while waiting up for you!" She helped Anna up, flipping the table back over before tugging her to the couch. "So…" she was finally able to ask, smirking at her sister.

Anna was still doing her best to glare. "You didn't have to go do anything for work, did you?"

Elsa hummed a low laugh. "Mmm, nope."

Anna glared at her older sister for a long time before cracking a smile, lunging toward her, and hugging her tight. "Thank you, Elsa!"

—

Anna could have kicked herself for her premature excitement about it being the weekend. The night before had thrown her off because, technically, she was on a date. With Kristoff. Warmth filled her cheeks as dread filled her chest, because today was in fact Friday. And she was in the theatre. To make things even better, the next day, Saturday, was the Gala they were holding as a fundraiser. Open bar, items to be auctioned off, a dance floor… Basically the last hoorah for the cast before tech week began. Anna shook her head; only one more week until the show opened. Anxious knots twisted in her stomach; was everything ready? Were costumes complete? She made a mental note to watch tonight's run of the show to be sure. And perhaps avert her eyes whenever Hans walked on stage. Which was often…

Speak of the devil, the redhead was in the house, leaning on the edge of the stage, making a to-do list on her sketch pad when a pair of hands snaked around her waist. They were definitely not Kristoff's big, strong, sure hands. They were like literal snakes, and she gasped, spinning around in his arms as one slithered down her thigh. "WHOA, Hans, what are you doing?!" Her face was crimson, and she was so very thankful the theatre was full. Or so she thought it was.

Kristoff felt like he was walking on a cloud. He never thought some petite, rambunctious redhead would ever be able to make him smile as much as he already had that morning. He was up on the second floor balcony, his favorite place to sit and think. One of the set changes just wasn't moving smoothly at all, and he had to think of a way to fix it. He walked to the front row of the balcony, and just before he took a seat, he noticed a flash of red hair. Too much red hair…

Anna was down by the stage, wrapped in the arms of… him. They were talking in whispers, so he couldn't hear a word. So he crossed his arms over his chest, and watched. He trusted Anna. She had made an unspoken promise the night before, so he was keeping his temper in check for now.

"What do you mean?" he hummed, pulling her closer to whisper in her ear. "Does a guy have to have a reason to feel up his girlfriend?"

Anna scoffed and placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back, but he still didn't let go. "Well, I don't know, Hans. It's not exactly clear who your girlfriend actually is," she hissed, plucking up her courage.

"Oh, Anna, don't be so childish…" he chided, leaning in once more as she turned her head away. A spark ignited in his eyes. "I just wanted to remind you that the Gala is tomorrow night, and I expect you to be there as my plus one."

Anna scoffed and pushed again, gently. She didn't want to have to get aggressive. That wasn't her. This time he let go. "Don't flatter yourself, Hans," she said, turning her attention back to her sketch pad. "I'm already expected to be there. I don't need to be anyone's 'plus one.' You must have forgotten that I'm the reason you're not in Denver's first ever nude production of Les Miserables?"

"Don't forget who got you this job, Anna.." he hissed venomously. "As long as you're my girlfriend, you will do and act as I say."

"Excuse me?" she asked incredulously, turning to face him again. "Who the heck do you think you are, telling m—" And she was cut off by a pair of hard, emotionless lips, followed by a violent tongue as those slithering hands pulled her close once more.

Kristen's heart was beating hard in his chest as he watched the interaction. He couldn't quite tell what the mood of it all was, and he was looking for signs to tell him if Anna was maybe breaking it off with him now or not. Not that he was rushing her. He trusted her. And after a few moments, he got his sign. He closed his eyes and shook his head before cursing under his breath. Of course. The one girl that changed his world completely wanted nothing to do with him. He was just some puppy to string along. He turned and left the balcony, having had quite enough of the morning show.

That was it. That was the last straw. She dropped enough perfectly clear hints, but nothing was getting through that impossibly conceited, pompous, thick skull of his. She pushed him away, not so gently this time, reared back, and clipped him in his chin, sending him stumbling into the front row seats, one of the chairs folding up on him. About that time, the rest of the cast was walking in. But Anna didn't care; enough was enough. "Let me make this perfectly clear, Mr. Westergaard… I do NOT belong to you, I am NOT a piece of property, and I sure as hell am not your girlfriend." She snatched up her sketch pad and walked up the steps of the stage, her braids bouncing with purpose, and smirked as she began hearing the jeers and jokes of some of his male cast mates.

—

During lunch, Anna left her little corner of the world [the dungeon] and headed upstairs to the scene shop. She thought it odd that Kristoff hadn't made a point to come visit her yet. It had become a daily thing. And to be quite honest, she had been itching for another hug since she walked through her apartment door the previous night.

When she walked through the scene shop door, the screeching, metallic sounds of a table saw assaulted her ears. Once over the initial shock, she continued through the door. It was the first time she had really seen the set, and it was unbelievable. His attention to detail was immaculate, and she wondered if he slept nights at all. The barricade was by far her favorite. Windows, shutters, doors, tables, kegs, a giant chest, among many other random objects piled on top of one another. She jumped back a bit when a little boy magically appeared at the top, only to see Kristoff not too far behind, climbing up behind.

"This is the topmost part of the barricade. It won't get any higher than this," he explained, voice raised over the sounds of the saw. He seemed to be talking to someone down on the ground behind the barricade. She could only see Kristoff from the waist up, so she circled around, keeping a wide berth while he was busy, and continued to watch. Two men were on the floor behind the barricade, standing on either side of a mattress. Kris looked back up at the boy, who seemed to be around eight.

"So," he placed a hand on the boys back and pointed to a wooden keg a few levels lower on the structure. "You'll start there. After the first gun shot, you fall right where you are. But not hard, don't hurt yourself," he said with a small chuckle. His lopsided grin practically stopped Anna's heart. "That's when you start singing again, remember?" The boy nods. "And you'll crawl up to that box there when you do. 'Little people know when little people fight…' There will be another shot, and you stumble." He was actually singing in his own octave, and it was surprisingly wonderful. She grinned as warmth flooded her. "Start crawling towards the top again...'We may be easy pickings, but we got some bite!" BANG."

"And I fall again," the boy said with impressive focus, nodding in understanding.

"You got it, Bud," he chuckled again. "Then as you sing this next part, you'll move to where you're standing now. 'We'll fight like twenty armies and we won't give up…' Pick up the red flag…" He demonstrates, "'So you'd better run for cover…' You struggle to stand here, and raise the flag. 'When the pup…grows…' BANG. And then he'll fall back to you guys," he says, directing his attention back to the men on the ground. He jumps down, and Anna catches a roll of muscle. "The mattress is here purely for good measure. Please, for the love of God, don't depend on it. There's really no need for it, but his mother insisted." He caught sight of her then, and Anna noticed something unfamiliar in his eyes. Something cold. "You guys practice from the first gunshot on. I'll be right back…" He began walking towards Anna before calling back over his shoulder, "And don't do the fall yet, please!" He avoided direct eye contact as he stopped in front of her, arms crossed over his chest.

"Hey," she said softly, grinning shyly up at him. Something was off.

"Hey." His voice was rather flat. He looked down at his watch. "Was there something you needed?"

Her face flushed, suddenly feeling foolish, unsure of herself. "I… just wanted to see you…" Now it was her turn to avoid eye contact. "To say hi…"

Kristoff sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Anna, last night was great and all… but it obviously meant more to me than it did to you. From what I saw this morning in the house, you've clearly made your decision. And I guess I'm just going to have to accept that." Something in his voice began to tighten, and he pushed it away. "I have things to do now, so I'll see you around…" He turned, leaving her speechless, walking back to the young Gavroche and crew members. That was the worst thing he ever had to do. And fuck, did it hurt...


	8. Chapter 8

It was all Anna could do to keep down the constant roll of bile rising up in her throat. All she could figure was that Kristoff walked in after the conversation with Hans started, and left before it ended. And she was absolutely sick about it. In less than twenty-four hours, she went from feeling the best she's ever felt to the absolute worst. To add insult to injury, she still had the Gala to attend. Considering she humiliated the reason she even had this job in front of his cast mates, she had a lot of sucking up to do to assure she wouldn't be dismissed from the next show. Though she knew it wouldn't hurt to put a portfolio together so that she could look other places. Because what she had here was ruined.

She was putting in some simple pearl earrings when Elsa walked into her room. "Hey…"

"Hey," she replied, standing straight to smooth out the vintage-style, black lace dress she wore. It hit just above her knees. Her hair was pulled up in an intricate, braided up-do, courtesy of Elsa, and simple black heels graced her feet.

"You look stunning, Anna." She smiled softly.

"Yeah, well, it's not like I've got anyone to enjoy it, now have I?" Kristoff hadn't answered her texts since the day before. She had no idea if he'd show up at the gala or not. She promised Elsa she'd try to talk to him if he was present, but the fact that he wouldn't even send single word texts wasn't a good sign to Anna.

"Just have fun tonight. Promise me you'll try. Schmooze with the important people until you're blue in the face, and then you can come home. Okay?" Anna only nodded. Once Elsa left her alone once more, she took a coat off the back of her chair and lifted it to her face. She inhaled and exhaled with a sigh, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She slipped into Kristoff's too-big coat, put on her gloves, and headed to the theatre.

—

It didn't take long for the distressed redhead to find herself sitting at the theatre lounge bar. Music filled the air as a man in a tux played the grand piano as people mingled. It was a great turnout, and at first, Anna was really excited. Surly they would raise some good money for the next show. Not that this theatre company was actually hurting for money. No, the moment Anna's morale crashed and burned was when she went to hang Krisoff's coat in the coat closet. An unmistakable ginger head was tangled with some blond chorus girl. She moved quickly from the closet backwards, tripping over her heels and running into a nearby cater-waiter with a tray of champagne flutes. One can only imagine how that turned out.

So here she was. Her ex of 8 hours was already banging some Cosette wannabe, Kristoff hated her guts, and she smelled strongly of champagne. Anna never drank. Maybe a couple of times, socially. So by the time she was on her third vodka-cranberry, she was more than just a little buzzed.

She was waiting on her fourth from a reluctant bartender, when she saw him. Her eyes blew up to the size of saucers. Dressed in a three piece tux, hair slicked back like some debonair James Bond, stood Kristoff. "Oh, fffffffantastic…" she slurred, sliding off her stool. "I'm done." He was talking to one of the prettier chorus girls, and she nearly lost all three drinks plus dinner as her brain plastered their faces on the tangled bodies in the coat closet. "Nope, nope. I'm gone. Leaving.." She slid Kristoff's coat on with a "You're never gettin' this back, suckerrrrr," and instead of walking through the front doors, she exited the lobby into the house of the theatre.

Kristoff forced a laugh at the boring chick beside him, and stopped abruptly when he caught something red stumbling to the house doors. That something looked absolutely stunning…in HIS coat. And that something was also clearly drunk. Walking into a pitch black theatre. He muttered a curse under his breath, rolling his eyes, and excused himself before following. The barricade was still on the stage from rehearsal earlier that day. Luckily, the backstage lights were on, some of it flooding onto the stage, so it wasn't completely dark. Anna had already made her way on top of the barricade, sitting on the topmost wooden keg, hanging upside down, one foot hooked haphazardly under the leg of a broken table, her other propped on a window shutter.

He wanted to ask what she was doing, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he was a few feet from the edge of the stage. Anna may have been short, but right now, she was all leg, her black lace dress bunched up around her upper thighs in her current position.

"Little people know when little people fight…" She did this little wiggle as she sang. "We may be easy pickings, but we got some BITE!" She flicked her free leg up on the last word, her heel flying off, nearly taking Kristoff's eye out as it fell into the audience. It woke him up at any rate, and he made his way on stage.

"Anna, what the hell are you doing?"

"I am NOT outside, am I?" she asked in sudden realization, tilting her head to the side, causing a few more red strands of hair falling from the top of her head. "I thought this bench seemed a bit wonky…"

Kristoff ran a hand down his face. "Jesus, Anna…" he muttered as he began to climb.

She took note of his presence and pulled herself up, rather ungracefully. Her hair was a mess, her dress skirts still hiked up, and missing a shoe. God, she was gorgeous. She pointed down at him, a pout forming on her lips. "No! No, you are NOT allowed to talk to me! I'm mad at you…" Kristoff only sighed, and as he got closer, she moved closer to the Gavroche's top platform. He winced when he heard a nice, long RIP.

"Anna, please sit still. This barricade was not built for safety." He saw her shake her head, and he took that as his cue to pick up the pace. He reached her just as she made it to the small square platform up top, and he picked her up easily before sitting on said platform, pulling the struggling redhead in his lap. She pushed against him, muttering 'let me go', and when he caught sight of her sudden tears, his heart split in two. "Anna, stop… Please, be still, just calm down. Talk to me…" He hugged her tight, secure until she stopped struggling, her little hand moving up to grip his jacket collar. He swallowed hard when he literally felt a sob roll through her tiny body.

"You're an idiot, Kristoff Bjorgman…" she mumbled into his chest.

"Oh yeah?" he asked softly, brushing her wild hair from her face. "Present your argument, please."

"This morning," Sob, "t-that…HE kissed ME! I pushed him away, Kris, something you CONVENIENTLY missed!" She sat up in his lap, one hand placed lightly on his shoulder, the other fiddling with his slicked back hair. "And I told him—you know what I told him?" The tears had stopped abruptly. She turned and pointed as she had that morning to the exact same chair he fell into. "I said, 'YOU do not..own me!" she slurred before shaking her head. Kristoff was grinning at her by now. "No, no, wait, let me start over!" she said, holding her hands up and shaking them. He let a little chuckle slip and she snapped her head to look at him, her deep blue eyes boring straight into his. "I punched him. Like… in the face." She turned back to the chair, several feet below them. "THEN, now this where I said what i said a minute ago, "YOU…do not own m-me! I ammm NOT your property! AndISureAsHellAintYourGirlfriend…!" she hissed the last one rather quick with sass.

She got quiet again and took hold of his jacket collar in both hands, leaning her forehead against his. He was so wrapped up in her now, it wasn't funny. She punched Hans. She actually clocked the guy in the mouth, and he found that ridiculously appealing. "For you…" she whispered. She sighed, vaguely aware of his hands moving across her back, inching her closer. "You moron… you stupid, tall, grumpy, beautiful, kind, gentle, gorgeous teddybear…"

Her eyes fluttered up to his, and that was it. He was done. He pulled her in the rest of the way, her legs to one side of his lap, and pressed his lips hard against hers. Her response was immediate, her hands moving to cup his face, tilting her head to the side to deepen the kiss. She tasted of cranberry and alcohol and Anna… just Anna. She gasped softly against his lips as he pulled away, head for that spot right under her ear, moving down to her neck, his tongue moving over her soft, silky skin. "Kristoff…" she breathed, and he groaned into her neck, sending a flutter deep into her abdomen. She pulled his face back to hers, initiating a second kiss, nibbling at his lower lip as his hand moved from her bare knee up her thigh. It was that second kiss, that taste of alcohol that reminded him how they got where they were in the first place.

"Anna…" he whispered into her lips. "Hey…" When her eyes finally fluttered open to look into his, he grinned. "You're not in the best shape for this right now, ya know?" he said, brushing his nose against hers.

She sighed and pouted. "Yeah… I know…" She looked back up at him. "Can we leave now?"

He smiled and leaned down to place one last, sweet kiss on her lips. "We can leave now," he chuckled.

"You're laughing at me."

He stood up with her, keeping one arm around her waist. "Yeah, I am." She stuck her tongue out at him as he moved a step lower. "Alright, up you go, Princess," he said, gesturing for her to hop a piggy back ride. "Let's get you home."

She didn't hesitate, wrapping her arms around his neck and laying her head on his shoulder. "Not home," she mumbled as Kristoff got them back on the stage. "Elsa…she'd…pissssssssssed. Your place." She nuzzled her nose into his neck, and he felt the heat surge through him.

He leaned down once in the house and grabbed his coat and her rogue shoe, letting out another sigh as he set her down. "Yeah, yeah, okay… I'll take you to my place," he said, kneeling down to put her shoe on. Anna smiled down at him, watching as he stood back up. He met her gaze and smiled lazily, wrapping his coat around her shoulders. "Let's go Feisty."

—

He honestly thought he would have to fight her to get a shower and at least change into a pair of his pajama pants and a t-shirt, but she seemed to be coming around ok. After a few struggles, he finally got her tucked into bed, all nice and clean. She'd appreciate that part in the morning. She immediately closed her eyes and snuggled into the covers as he leaned down to kiss her temple. "Goodnight, Anna."

Her eyes fluttered open, and damn it, there was that pout again. "Where are you going?"

"Uhh…" he stammered, face turning red. "Was gonna go sleep on the couch with Sven."

She shook her head before he even finished his sentence. "Nuh uh. Nope. That's not acceptable." She was having trouble keeping her eyes open. "Come on. Get in. Or I'll…I'll" she slurred.

He smirked, climbing under the covers with her, pulling her close. "Or you'll what?"

She snuggled up to him, his body like a personal heater, and she rested her head on his chest, her arms tucked in between her chest and his side. "Dunno," she yawned. "I'll think… of something…tom—" And it was then that Kristoff learned that his little princess snored like an ancient king.


	9. Chapter 9

Kristoff was always used to getting to the theatre very early every weekday, so it wasn't surprising that he woke up fairly early on this particularly sunny Sunday morning. But something was different this time. He had slept like a rock, though often times he had trouble sleeping. It was one of those deep sleeps that when you woke up, you completely forgot where you were or what day it was until you opened your eyes. There was that and also the fact that something warm and soft was curled up against him. It only took a few seconds, but when everything came rushing back, his eyes shot open, and it felt like his entire body was blushing.

His arms were wrapped around a deep sleeping Anna, her back pressed flush against his chest, her little feet tangled with his. He had his chin resting on the top of her head, and her hands rested on top of his. But nothing bad had happened, he remembered, so he relaxed again, closing his eyes and giving her a gentle squeeze before kissing her temple. She was gorgeous, even in the throes of slumber. He dragged his fingers lightly up her arm as he thought about making breakfast for her. As tangled as they were, however, getting out of bed was not going to be an easy task.

He looked across the loft and saw Sven lying on the couch and had an idea. "Psst! Hey! Sven!" he whispered. The chocolate lab raised his head and looked eagerly at his person. "C'mere!" Sven stood on the couch, stretched and yawned before jumping down and trotting over to the bed. Anna was budging one bit. Kristoff patted the bed and the dog jumped up. He wedged the dog between himself and Anna, and Sven cuddled up to her like he knew exactly what Kristoff intended. The blond slipped easily from the bed and held his breath, stock still, as Anna stirred. She turned over and he cringed, but thankfully, her eyes were still closed. She threw an arm over Sven and nuzzled the top of her head under his chin, and was still once more. "Kristoff…" she mumbled in her sleep, and he turned beet red. "…harry…?" she added, absently scratching Sven's back. Kristoff exhaled, wiping a hand over his face. Now he was going to be left to wonder for the rest of his life if she had been dreaming of him. He was still blushing as he walked over to the foot of the bed.

When he first moved in, Bulda didn't like the fact that it was all one room. So, once again, while he wasn't home, she decorated, made sure things were clean enough for her not-so-little boy. In addition, she had Cliff install a curtain track in the ceiling so that Kristoff could have a modesty curtain around the two edges of the bed that weren't against the wall. Today was the first time he had ever used it. He wanted to be sure that the sleeping beauty in his bed (of all places!) could get the rest she needed. He was certain she was going to feel pretty lousy when she did eventually come around. So he closed the curtain around the bed before heading for a shower.

He ended up tidying up before actually starting the shower, so by the time the water started up, Anna was stirring. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head before letting out a long groan. "Oh my stars…!" she breathed bringing her hands to rest over her wild hair. It was by far the worst headache she had ever experienced, and she knew right away that it was her first hangover.

Her eyes shot open and flew into a sitting position, which wasn't the best idea considering the unpleasant roll in her stomach. Hangover. She drank a lot last night. A lot for her, anyway. Kristoff. She placed her hands over her eyes as she backtracked what had happened the previous night.

I was singing on the barricade… She uncovered her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. Kristoff came into the theatre after her. Followed her up the barricade. She was now able to remember, vividly, the feel of his hands around her waist, pulling her onto his lap. There was a different kind of roll in her stomach, now, and she bit her lower lip. They kissed. Oh my, did they kiss! Her hand moved to her neck, running her fingers across her skin. Had his lips really been there? His hand sliding up her thigh…

Sven licked her arm, pulling her out of her thoughts. Good thing, since her body was responding to the memory in alarming ways, and Kristoff was just on the other side of the wall. In the shower… Naked… "No ho, Anna, stop!" she whispered to herself. She hugged herself as she looked around, no sight of her phone on the bed. Oh…I'm wearing his clothes, she thought with another grin. They smelled like him, and she idly wondered if she had died and gone to Heaven. She scratched Sven's belly as she pulled back the curtain, finding the object in mind on the bedside table. She sat back on the bed, troubled. No messages. No missed phone calls. Did Elsa not care that she hadn't come home? She dialed her sister's number, anxious.

"Well, well, well. How are we feeling this morning, Princess?" came Elsa's slightly annoyed greeting.

Anna groaned. "I know, I know… I'm sorry. How did you know where I was? You never called!"

"Anna, darling, Kristoff and I exchanged numbers while you were having your little costume parade on Thursday. I know how you can be when it comes to not paying attention to your phone for hours at a time, so I wanted his number in case I needed another way to contact you at the theatre." She sighed. "He texted me last night in the cab and explained. But Anna… really?"

Even though Elsa couldn't see, the redhead had her grumpy, pouty face on. "What? We only slept together, no big deal…"

"Anna!"

"CALM DOWN, I'm joking…"

Elsa sighed. "What if Kristoff hadn't been there, Anna? You could have seriously hurt yourself! How high is that barricade, 20ft?!"

"How'd you know about the barricade?"

"Anna!"

"Elsa, it's… about 15ft, give or take…" Elsa groaned. "But listen, Else!" she continued, excitement in her voice, trying to talk softly. "He kissed me! I mean, WE kissed! Like, on the lips!" She fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "And I'm wearing his t-shirt. And his pj pants." She let out a dreamy sigh. Elsa only gave a "Mhmm…"

"Oh, come on, Elsa. He didn't try anything. Kristoff isn't like that. He held me, made me feel safe. Had me drink an entire bottle of Gatorade before going to bed so I wouldn't get sick. He made me take a shower, made sure I was warm, and he held me until I fell asleep. And that's it. But oh, Elsa, it was enough…" Her heart was fluttering in her chest. How on earth was this man single? He was the definition of kindness.

"I'm so glad he took care of you, Anna." She could hear the smile in Elsa's voice. "I knew he was a good egg the moment I saw his face when you pierced your hands with those stupid straight pins," she laughed softly. "I knew then that he was smitten with you."

Anna was grinning so hard. "You think so?" she whispered, giddy.

"You are so blind, Little Snowflake," she laughed. "Now, enjoy a sober morning with your new boyfriend, and then come home so I can lock you in a tower until you're forty," she teased.

"Ok, MOM… And he's not my boyfriend. I don't think… yet? I don't know. Ahh, but he's shut the water off, he's getting out of the shower, I have to pretend I'm still asleep, BYE!" and she hung up, snuggling under the covers with Sven. She heard the bathroom door open, but he never came over to the curtain. So she crawled to the edge of the bed, peeking out of the curtain and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. He was standing, back to her, at the bar of the kitchen in nothing but pajama pants. Her eyes glazed over as she appraised his broad shoulders, the muscles of his arms and back, and oh, she could only imagine what he looked like from the front.

He continued on into the kitchen and she sat back on her heels. She had had a tough night, right? She deserved a bit of a treat, didn't she? She grinned, making up her mind to be awake now, and slipped off the bed and out from behind the curtain. She walked over to the bar just as he was clanging around, pulling out a frying pan and a waffle iron. On the bar sat another bottle of Gatorade, a bottle of water, and three ibuprofen on a napkin. What had she done to deserve this kind of treatment? From a man she only knew a month? He was a living dream.

He turned around then, starting at seeing her there. "Well, good morning, sleepy head," he said easily with a lazy grin. Anna was frozen to the spot, swallowing hard. The front. Yes, the front. Those pecks, the abs, his arms, that perfect V leading… "Anna?" He looked down and blush. "Ahh… Sorry about that," he said, getting more red by the second. "I didn't expect you to wake so early… I'll just go put on—"

"NO!" She clamped her mouth shut, her turn to flush. "I mean, it's fine, it doesn't bother me at all…" He was grinning now, walking towards her. "Because it's nice, not that I'm staring or anything, but I mean, you're THERE and—"

Kristoff silenced her with a kiss, and she nearly went limp in his arms as his bare chest pressed against her, his hands winding around her waist. She moved her hands slowly up his arms as he pulled away, ever so slightly. "You talk too much sometimes, you know that?"

"Um…" He tone had jumped nearly an octave. "Hallucinations aren't part of hangovers, are they, because… I'm… just…" Form the words, Anna, use your words, "not sure I'm really here right now…"

Kristoff laughed, kissing her forehead, though he still couldn't help but continue to blush. She was covered up in his pajamas, and he wasn't even going to mention what that alone did to him. "Have a seat on the barstool, Feisty. Take the pain killers and drink up. Time to hydrate." He walked back into the kitchen as she took a seat timidly. "I'm going to make you breakfast. How do waffles sound?" he asked, leaning on the kitchen side of the bar, opposite her.

She stared at him for moment, taking him in. Without thinking, she leaned towards him on the counter and took his face in her hands, kissing him once more. Bliss. This was bliss. She pulled away so that their noses were touching. "Thank you, Kristoff." It was all the 'yes' he needed.


	10. Chapter 10

"So… how bad was I?" she suddenly asked, embarrassed. Kristoff was sliding a plate across the bar to her. She took a bite as he looked up at her.

"You weren't bad at all, Anna," he said with a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "You were actually… quite…"

Anna blushed a deep red, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I… I meant the drunken fool part…" She looked up at him from under her lashes. She remembered the locking of lips quite well, to her relief.

"Oh!" They were both a fluster of nerves. "Of course! Um, well, you were entertaining, that's for sure," he chuckled. "You nearly impaled me with your heel, you sang 'Little People' upside down on one of the kegs on the barricade, and refused to speak to me because you were angry with me," he said, watching her with an amused expression. "BUT, you are Anna Andersen, and anyone who has ever met you knows that there is no way that you could ever keep silent for more than two seconds." His eyes softened and he got a little more serious. "You told me about Friday morning. What really happened." He sighed. "I'm so sorry, Anna. I shouldn't have assumed what I did, especially after our… pretty great night together."

Anna grinned down at her plate, scooping up a bite of eggs as he came around the corner to sit at the bar stool next to her. "It's okay," she said after swallowing. "You, uh… you kind of more than made it up to me." She grinned over at him, then squealed as he bit his lip and slid her bar stool closer to him.

He put his arm around her, obviously quite pleased with himself. "Good," he replied, giving her a gentle squeeze. They ate their breakfast this way, both of them feeling more comfortable and relaxed by the time they finished.

"Best. Breakfast. Ever." She tucked her little arm under his to wrap her arm around his waist, hugging his middle. "Did you know that I've never had a real waffle?" she asked with wide eyes. "I mean, not that I've ever had _fake_ waffles, but what man ever makes real waffles?!"

Kristoff chuckled and hooked a finger under her chin, pulling her attention away from the waffle maker. "A real one." His reply sent her heart racing as he leaned down to press his lips gently against hers.

He tasted like syrup and Kristoff, and it was almost more than she could bear. Ever since she woke up, remembering the night before, she wanted to start where they left off. She hadn't realized how long she had wanted this to happen. Just after their first week of being acquaintances, she was having thoughts about him. Going to the scene shop to ask him a question and finding him in nothing but an undershirt, stock still as she would watch his muscles roll and tense as he moved. It woke something in her that she had never knew existed. Hans definitely never had that affect on her.

She pulled away with an easy smile, sliding off her stool, walking around to sit on the couch, watching as his brown eyes followed. She leaned against the arm, pulling her knees to her chest and patted the seat in front of her. He raised his eyebrows, placing a hand on his chest as if to say _Who, me?_ She giggled, rolling her eyes before nodding. He smirked and stood from his stool, but stopped halfway to the couch. As much as he liked their silent game, he wanted to make sure she was comfortable. "Should I put a shirt on or anything?" he asked slowly, gauging her reaction to the question.

Anna shook her head with a childish grin, mouthing _"Nope!"_ He was absolutely perfect as he was. He chuckled and pulled a blanket from the bed before flopping down on the couch, one leg underneath him as he sat facing her. He shook his head, still unable to believe that this was even happening. He hadn't been in a relationship in a long time, honestly wasn't looking for one. People were annoying. But there was no denying Anna. He reached out and cupped her cheek with one hand, brushing his thumb against her soft cheek. "You're so beautiful, Anna. And you have absolutely no idea that you are." She placed her hand over his and looked down, grinning so wide that she thought her face might crack. "I really, really like you, Anna…" he whispered, serious.

She looked up quickly to catch his expression, and the nervousness in his eyes was gone. "I really, _really_ like you, too, Kris."

"God, I love it when you call me that," he added with a small chuckle before she could say any more.

She grinned, biting her lip as she leaned forward to crawl into his lap, her knees to one side, just as they had been the night before. She didn't trust herself to straddle him. Not while he had his shirt off. "Well then, _Kris_ ," she began, grinning down at him as she traced little doodles on his bare chest, "What if, _Kris_ , we were to only _really, really_ like each other. And no one else… _Kris_." She held in a giggle, biting her lower lip as his hands pressed against the small of her back, pulling her closer.

Really? Did she even need to ask? All he saw was Anna. All he thought was Anna. All he wanted to smell, hold, _taste_ was Anna. Surely she knew that by now. He gently reached up and pulled her lip from her teeth, gazing at her lips before making eye contact. "I'm fairly certain that won't be a problem at all for me, Red…"

They leaned in together, meeting the other's kiss with fervor, Anna's hands in his hair, one of his hands on her back, the other behind her head. As if he was afraid she still might get away. Anna let out a sigh against his lips as he moved to slant them over hers, deepening their connection. Her hands moved slowly from his head, down his neck, shoulders, moving her hands all over the muscles of his arms and torso, desperately wanting to memorize every part of him that was available to her now. She wondered idly if he could hear the deafening beat of her heart as he pulled her close, but the gentle coaxing of his tongue begging for entry distracted her.

Kristoff couldn't hold in the groan that escaped when she parted her perfect lips for him, inviting him to take things deeper. The hand at her back slipped under the hem of her shirt, his fingers grazing slowly, up and down the bare skin of her back, following the curve of her spine. He grinned into her lips when he felt the small tremor roll through her body at his touch.

"Kris…!" she breathed, and he took that time to direct his lips elsewhere, both hands now rubbing up and down her bare sides under the shirt she wore. All coherent thoughts were forgotten as she felt his lips press up her jaw, pausing in that spot just below her ear, causing her to grip his shoulders. "Mmm…" she hummed with a blissful, open-mouthed smile as he focused on the crook of her neck. A giggle bubbled in her throat, right under his lips, igniting something deep in his abdomen. "I swear, if you leave a mark down there, Bjorgman, Elsa will have your head…" she mused, barely above a whisper. He took a small chunk of her flesh and rolled it between his teeth, getting a little jump out of her. "Hey!"

"Consider me a dead man," he smirked up at her. She tried to glare at him, but it was impossible. Instead she took his face, bringing his lips back to hers in a sweet, shorter kiss.

"I'll be dead if we keep it up," she confessed, leaning her forehead against his, meeting his eyes.

"I know…" he sighed. He pulled her down so that she was snuggled against his chest. It had easily been the very best morning of his life. All because of the petite young woman in his arms. "Anna?"

"Hmm?" she hummed, nuzzling her face into his neck, leaving a few kisses.

He sat her back up so he could look at her. "What do you say we have a proper date…tonight? I want to cook for you. Here. Show you how a real man shows the perfect woman a good time," he added with a grin, fingertips running up and down her arm.

She swore her face was going to hurt later from all of the smiles. Nodding, she said, "That sounds absolutely wonderful, Kris. I'd like that very much." She made a mental note as she gave him one more kiss, that when she did get the chance to meet his mother, she needed to thank her profusely for all she did to raise a small little boy into perfection.


	11. Chapter 11

When Kristoff had promised Anna an official date night, he had conveniently forgotten that it was the week of the show. By Sunday afternoon, everyone hit the ground running. Anna had to make sure last minute revisions to costumes were made, and Kristoff had to ensure that every last piece of the set was built and painted. Not to mention the director's last minute decision to have the actor that played Javert to actually fall from the 30ft bridge set center stage. Kristoff was up all night long Sunday, trying to figure out a safe way to make this happen because, "I know you can do it. Just… do it."

The rest of the week went in that way. Kristoff and Anna both had to live vicariously through the goofy grins they'd shoot across the theatre to one another when they were given the chance.

It was the day before opening, and Anna had had about enough. She was tired, cranky, and could never seem to get warm enough down in the dungeons. So she decided to remedy these issues before she did anymore work.

Kristoff had just finished the new addition to the set he was required to make in order to hide Javert's 'cushion' for when he fell to his , too, was irritated, exhausted, and he sorely missed holding a certain redhead in his arms at night. All it took was once, and he didn't want to sleep any other way.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out, swiping the screen to see the text Anna had just pushed through.

{I know you're super busy and all, but if you could possibly spare 5 seconds to help me out, I would be eternally grateful…}

[*sigh* well, I AM very busy…]

{Please, Kris… I'll make it worth your while.}

[Okay, I'll bite – whatcha need, Feistypants?]

{TY! Go to the prop closet stage left. There should be a tall rectangular box in the back. I need one of those canes. Preferably one that fits the time period aka a piece of junk. ;) }

Kristoff grinned down at his phone and sighed as he excused himself from his crew to go on a scavenger hunt for the cute redhead. He opened the door to the large prop closet and turned the light on, letting the heavy door shut behind him. As he reached the box at the end of the closet, the lights went out.

"Shit…" he grumbled, turning back around, instantly knocking something over. He gasped when he felt two tiny hands placed themselves on his chest. "Anna?" he whispered, and a delicate finger pressed lightly against his lips. Anna stepped up on a crate, now eye level with the big blonde, and laced her fingers through his hair as she pulled him close, pressing her lips firmly against his.

Kristoff didn't hesitate for a moment. Of course it was her. He wrapped his arms tight around her, tilting his head to the side to deepen the kiss, eliciting a soft whimper from Anna, who pressed her body flush with his. "What's this all about?" he managed to mumble in between kisses.

"Must there be a reason?" she breathed as his hot kisses trailed down her neck, lingering at the junction between there and her shoulder.

Kristoff only chuckled, low and deep, and it excited that new, hot sensation Anna had begun to experience lately when around Kristoff, or when thinking of him. She pulled his lips back to hers, her own needy with want. Reluctantly, they finally pulled away for air, resting their foreheads together.

"I'm so tired," she pouted into his lips. "And Saturday spoiled me. I want another day in with Mr. Bjorgman."

"Sounds like a lucky man," he breathed, still trying to recover from the surprise attack. He leaned in to kiss her again, this time soft and sweet. "Look; we really only have to be present opening night. Why don't you and I plan to have a little 'private' party at my place afterwards? And on Saturday, we can do whatever your heart desires…" His thumbs were brushing her sides lightly, and Anna was nearly dizzy with pleasure.

"Mmm, I love that idea…" She leaned in again and kissed him, hot and hard, before pulling away and heading to the door.

"Whoa, wait, what about the cane?!" Kristoff called after her.

Anna opened the door, letting light flood into the closet before she turned around, smirking wickedly. "What cane?"


	12. Chapter 12

It was opening night, finally. The past few days had been stressful for all involved, but the show was finally polished to perfection (or their idea of perfection) and ready to entertain an audience. There was a buzz of excitement in the air around the theatre, flowing through the halls, lobby, dressing rooms, like a shock of electricity. Any fights, squabbles or quarrels that had risen throughout the week had now evaporated, replaced with indescribable vibes of exhilaration that usually came with opening night jitters.

Kristoff was, again, dressed in a suit for the occasion. Normally, he wouldn't care. He wouldn't even show up, because his part was done. But there was a very special lady that he still had the urge to impress, even though they were both well passed that stage. He leaned over the railing on the second floor lobby, watching the front doors below. Ushers and bartenders were doing last minute preparations, walking quickly this way and that across the red, plush carpet of the lobby. It was almost enough to distract the slightly nervous blonde, but a flash of red caught in the corner of his eye, demanding full attention.

Anna stood, brushing snow off of her black peacoat, her pale cheeks flushed from the cold wind outside, wisps of red curls loose around her face. An usher rushed towards her to take her coat, and it was then that Kristoff stood straight, his mouth suddenly dry as cotton. Anna wore a magenta cocktail dress, sleeveless with a sweetheart neck, the bottom hitting just above her knees. It was all lace, as was the black bodice accent that hugged her middle. His eyes lingered on the exposed skin of her shoulders, a longing to taste the freckles there overwhelming him completely. The dip above her sternum, and moving down the length of her legs to the impressive black pumps that graced her tiny feet.

Only when she began moving toward the direction of the theatre house did he realize that he had been holding his breath. That pure perfection on legs wanted him. Never in his life had he imagined he'd ever be this lucky. With a boyish grin, he pushed away from the banister and headed down to the 'dungeons,' where he knew she was headed.

Anna instantly regretted leaving her coat with the usher. The underground level of the theatre was always terribly cold. She looked down at her phone for the umpteenth time that day. She hadn't heard a word from Kristoff since they parted the night before at the theatre door, and she was beginning to worry. Surely she hadn't said or done anything wrong in that short amount of time. Then again, Hans had once told her she always did things wrong.

When she rounded the corner, entering her domain, she let out a gasp, stopping in the doorframe. What looked like two dozen red tipped, yellow roses sat at the center of her primary work table in her costume shop. Her right hand automatically raised to rest over her heart as she strode slowly across the room towards them. She bit her lip, eyes watering as she picked up the note placed next to the vase.

 _Dear Feisty-Pants,_

 _I'm not very good at this kind of thing, but I think it's pretty clear how special you are to me. You're my best friend, hence the yellow roses (Ma told me what the colors meant). But the red tips mean something a little more. I'll let you know what that is later. Maybe. If you're good. Stay with me tonight?_

 _Your Kris_

Kristoff had quietly followed her down the halls and was now leaning against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest, watching her with an affectionate grin. He heard her breath catch as she read the note and knew, thankfully, that he had done okay. Unable to keep away from her any longer, he let out a long whistle, startling Anna who jumped, looking his way with wide eyes. "I was kind of hoping I'd get to see that little black lace number again tonight," he said in mock disappointment.

He had more than half-way expected the petite firecracker to take a running jump into his arms, but instead, she stood there, gazing at him from across the room with bright, wet eyes. All it took was one tear slipping from the corner of her eye to have Kristoff rushing before her, concerned. She was looking down at the note still in her hands, and he cupped her face gently, lifting her eyes to his as his thumbs wiped her tears away. "Anna, Sweetheart, I didn't mean that. I mean, I loved that dress, don't get me wrong, but you really look absolutely stunning tonight, and—"

Anna giggled a bit through her tears and shook her head. "It's not that." She lifted her hands to take his so that she could turn to look at the roses. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before. I've never gotten flowers before!" She was quiet, but he could hear the hushed excitement in her voice. "I just… You make me so happy, Kristoff." Truth be told, she had never felt this way before, and it was a little scary. She looked back at him. "I love them. They're beautiful. And you're absolutely crazy if you think I won't take your offer to stay the night." She reached up to take hold of his tie and gently pulled him down to meet her lips in a slow, meaningful kiss.

Kristoff's arms were around her tiny waist in an instant, returning the kiss with fervor. When they pulled away, he kissed the tip of her nose. "You kind of mean the world to me, Red. You have me wrapped around your thimble-clad finger."

"Right where I want ya," she teased, pressing another chaste kiss on his lips before slipping her hand into his and pulling him out of the costume shop. "And I have to say, you are looking downright sexy tonight, sir!" His face turned beet red as she tugged him out of the room.

After the show, there was a big reception out in the lobby. The entire cast got wind that a couple of Broadway producers had come to see the show, possibly seeking out talent. So all had stuck around to schmooz.

Coming back from the ladies room, Anna slowed her steps when she saw Kristoff talking animatedly with an important looking patron. Hmm! Maybe someone is finally appreciating his great work! she thought with a smile. She continued on over, Kristoff's arm automatically slipping around her waist as they continued their conversation.

"Well, I must get going, Mr. Bjorgman. When I get back to the city, I'll have the contract written up and sent to you for over-view. I really hope you'll consider it," he said meaningfully as he shook Kristoff's free hand. The man nodded his head politely to Anna before moving along through the crowd.

Anna raised her eyebrows at Kristoff, grinning. "My, my, that sounded rather pressing, Mr. Bjorgman!"

Kristoff was grinning ear to ear. He leaned down and kissed Anna full on the lips. "I've been offered a job to design a show revival on Broadway. Broadway, Anna!" he exclaimed, excitement sparkling in his eyes.

Anna stood, shocked and wide-eyed for a moment, speechless. A million thoughts raced through her mind in a millisecond. _Broadway. New York. Over a thousand miles away. Away from her. But such a happy Kristoff._ A smile broke out across her lips, though it didn't quite touch her eyes. "Oh, Kris, that's the best news!" She threw her arms around him, one hand cradling his head as she held him tight, closing her eyes. "I am so proud of you…" she whispered, though the threat of heartache was pressing down on her heart.


	13. Chapter 13

News spread fast within the theatre of kristoff's offer. Though he was pretty excited about it, none of these people were his friends. The last thing he wanted was for the actors and actresses to crowd around him, buttering him up in hopes of getting a good reference out of him for the casting director. And to avoid making a scene,— where he'd tell them all to go to hell— he and Anna decided it was time for them to call it a night.

Speaking of the beautiful thing beside him, she was awfully quiet during the reception. He moved his hand to the small of her back as they walked, his thumb moving in slow circles. He knew she had to have been exhausted. She gravitated to his touch, her body leaning more against him as they walked to the costume shop. Kristoff smirked to himself, slipping his hand the rest of the way around her waist, holding her close.

"Can't wait until we get to your place, hmm?" she mused, glancing up at him. Of course it didn't bother her. They hadn't had any alone time together since the night she had a little too much to drink. Frankly, her hands were tingling with want.

"Just a little anxious, is all," he teased, meeting her gaze as they stopped at her shop door. "I've missed you this week," he said, a bit more seriously as he tucked a curl behind her ear.

"The feeling is mutual. I almost considered pulling you into the barricade last night to have my way with you, but… You seemed pretty tired," she smirked, making her way to the roses on the table along with her other things.

Kristoff froze, turning bright red from the toes up. Had she really just said that? "I—" his voice cracked nervously, and he cleared his throat, "I wouldn't have been too tired for that…" he finished, running a hand through his hair, flustered as she turned to look at him. So he had thought about it, too? She sighed and picked up the heavy vase of roses, Kristoff hurrying to her side to take it for her.

"I'm just teasing. I can't get my hopes up like that when you're going to be leaving me," she added with a small chuckle that didn't reach her stormy eyes. "Come on. I'm ready to snuggle up in your bed."

Kristoff only nodded and followed her, a bit confused by her statement. Did she really think this decision was going to be so easy for him? That he hadn't considered her at all?

Back at Kristoff's apartment, both agreed that a shower was in order before getting comfortable. After they stood awkwardly, avoiding each other's gaze for sometime, it was made clear, silently, that the showers would remain separate for now, Kristoff taking the first shift.

Anna sighed and sat down on his bed, pulling the curtains closed as she called her sister. The phone rang as she stood on the bed to turn on the lamp that hung in the corner that provided light for when the bed was closed off from the rest of the room.

"Hello?" Elsa sounded concerned.

"Hey," Anna replied easily, sliding back down the wall to the mattress.

Elsa was quiet a moment. "Everything okay…?" she asked suspiciously. Not that it was any of her business, but if she was over at a guy's apartment for the night, she would not be calling her sister.

"Kristoff got offered a job in New York." She got straight to the point, her voice rather monotone. Should she be worried about this? Sure, they had known each other for going on three months now, but they had only been anything official for a week. Of course he wouldn't have thought about her. How silly…

"Oh. Oh, wow, that's great!" Silence. "But… not so great for you, huh?" she added cautiously. Now she saw where the phone call was going.

"I should be so happy for him, Else! I want to be so happy, but I just got him!" She was whispering, loudly, and Elsa could hear the quiver in her voice. Anna stood back up on the bed, bouncing back and forth as she 'paced.' "I have no right to feel this way, I know. It's only been a week of dating, I KNOW." She walked over to the part of the curtain next to the bathroom door. "It's selfish. I'm so selfish…" She opened the curtain, and she immediately gasped, eyes wide.

She was nose to nose with Kristoff.

"Anna? Anna, are you there?" They could both hear Elsa calling from the receiver. Anna couldn't decipher the look on Kristoff's face. An eyebrow was raised, clearly he was amused. She hoped so, anyway…

Kristoff gently took Anna's hand in his and slipped the phone out of her grasp, his free hand hanging on to hers. "Hey, Elsa. Anna's going to have to call you back. Tomorrow." He hit the disconnect, his eyes never leaving Anna's for a moment, before tossing it over on the couch.

Anna thought she was going to die. Just die. Right there, on the spot. He had heard her conversation. Damn men and they're freakishly short showers! Speaking of which, the blonde was shirtless, in nothing but a towel, no less! How was this fair?! She was looking down, away from him, like a punished child, and she shivered when he took her chin gently in his hand, turning her to face him. "Hey…" he said softly. It was strange being eye-level with him, but it did help to be standing on the bed at this moment. She didn't seem as small as she felt. "Can we talk about this?" Anna's face turned red with embarrassment, but Kristoff only smiled and closed the distance, pressing his lips softly against hers.

Anna's hands rested on his bare chest, her fingers curling in the soft tufts of golden hair there. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers. "Go get your shower, and we'll talk. Okay?" Anna gave him a tiny grin and nodded, letting out a little squeal as he picked her up and sat her back down on the floor.

Anna pulled her wet hair in a messy bun on the top of her head before pulling on the over-sized t-shirt she usually slept in. It hit above her knees, so she didn't bother with shorts. Frankly, she didn't want to wear any tonight, and she had a feeling Kristoff wouldn't have a problem with it.

She pulled the curtain around his bed back to see him scrolling through his phone, looking at something or another. She bit her lower lip as his gaze shifted to her, seeing that she still looked rather ashamed. Kristoff sighed and put his phone down on the bedside table. "Will you cut it out already, Feistypants? You're not in trouble." He motioned for her to come on, so she grinned a bit and crawled up on the bed and over to him. Kristoff pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her securely, placing a few kisses on her neck. "How was your shower?" he asked, lips brushing against her skin.

Anna was already melting under his touch. Weren't they supposed to be talking?! "Hot…" she breathed, then her eyes widened, "I mean good! It was good!"

Kristoff chuckled and she felt him lean over to grab something from the bedside table before letting her back rest against his chest once more. He held on of her roses in front of them, placing it in her hands, so he could rest his hands on hers. "Do you remember what I said in the note about the color of your roses?" He was speaking so softly, she was sure he could lull her to sleep right there. That, or awaken something deep and desperate from within.

Anna nodded. "You said the yellow was for friendship," she said, smiling softly. "That I was your best friend."

Kristoff shifted her in his lap so that she rested in the cradle of his arm, so he could see her face as they spoke. "You are, Anna," he said, catching her eyes with his. "I learned a few things today." He paused. "We won't talk about the fact that it was about roses; that can be left out of general conversation," he teased, and it got a small giggle out of her, which was the goal. "But apparently, color is important when gifting someone roses. Yellow is for friendship, yes. But… I wasn't completely satisfied with that. And I didn't want to go with red because that's expected. And you're special, Anna. You're so unexpected that I had to do something else. The shop owner handed me one of these. Friendship," he said, grazing the tip of his finger at the base of a yellow petal, "leading up," his finger followed, "to the red tip." He lifted his hand to cup her cheek, his fingers sliding into her hair as his thumb wiped away the silent tears that were falling from her deep, blue eyes. "It symbolizes falling in love."

Anna's breath caught in her chest, lost for words as she gazed up at him, rose forgotten on the bed as she slowly sat up in his lap, her hands moving to his shoulders.

Kristoff chuckled, shaking his head. "And I cannot shake this voice in my head, that sounds a lot like this redhead I know, actually, telling me that the feelings I have for you are unique. . And I believe that voice. I won't say any more than that, because I don't want you to think this is moving too fast, and I don't want you to feel pressured. I'm just falling, Anna. Pretty hard."

Anna launched herself at him with such velocity that she ended up causing Kristoff to hit his head on the wall behind him.

There was a groan and a gasp, and before he knew it, her lips were everywhere, whispering little apologies, her hands rubbing the back of his head. She ended back up, eye to eye with a smiling Kristoff who wasn't a bit worried about his head. "I-I only meant to kiss you… like… really hard, and I'm sorry, I just—" She stopped as his finger fell over her lips. She grinned, looking down shyly as she bit her lip.

"I know." He grinned when she looked back up. "I promise you that no plans will be made, none of this will have a single thought without you in mind." He covered her lips with his as she made to argue. "I'm selfish, too, you know," he smirked.

"Kristoff…" Anna grinned, placing her hands on his face, gently pulling him back in, this time for a deeper kiss. All she knew was that her heart was soaring, and more words could be used in the morning. But now, she just wanted him, to be wrapped up in him, and she didn't want to come up for air until morning.


	14. Chapter 14

For the next half-hour, they were all deep kisses and soft touches. Kristoff had eventually laid her against the pillows, positioning himself above her, resting on an elbow so as not to crush her tiny form. Not that she would have minded. She very much wanted to feel every inch of him. The amount of affection she held for this man was frightening to say the least. She couldn't find the words, not really. And when she did think of a way to express her feelings, she'd open her mouth, and the thought would dissipate instantly. But that didn't stop her from showing him. No, she could always show him.

He pulled away first, resting his forehead against hers as Anna cupped his face, grazing her thumbs back and forth on his cheeks. Kristoff smiled down at her, lifting a hand from her hip to brush her hair out of her eyes. "It's about time we made it here," Anna whispered, still a bit breathless.

Kristoff let out a low chuckle. "You're beautiful, Anna." He leaned down to kiss her right under her ear, earning a soft moan from Anna that set his senses on fire. He let his fingers graze across her bare thigh at the hem of her t-shirt, and this time, Anna dug her nails in his shoulder with one hand and grabbed a fist full of his hair in another.

"Kristoff…"

He lifted his head to look down at the red-headed angel that was lying underneath him, on *his* bed. Her eyes were darker than he had ever seen them before, flooded with passion and want. His heart pounded in his chest, his blood catching fire throughout his veins. "Anna…" was all he could manage, his voice deep with lust. He watched as she bit her lower lip, placing a tiny hand on his chest to push him back as she sat up. She wasn't meeting his gaze, and his heart dropped. Did he make a wrong move? Was he going to fast? "Anna, I'm sorry… I didn't—I mean…" Her soft fingers landed across his lips, and she was grinning shyly up at him.

"Hush, you." Her voice was soft and velvety, and it sent an electric shock to his groin, his pajama pants feeling slightly tighter. He sat back and watched her as she let her hair down. Watched as her delicate fingers slid down her shirt until they reached the hem. Watched as she slowly pulled her shirt over her head, her eyes never leaving his face.

Anna's heart was pounding so hard in her chest, it was deafening. She had never done anything like this before, but she couldn't stop herself. She wanted him, needed him. She had nothing on underneath her t-shirt, and her cheeks burned red once she finally tossed the shirt to the side. She looked back at a wide-eyed Kristoff, who was also rather red in the face, his chest moving more rapidly in his nervous excitement. He had moved his hand from her thigh when she had first sat up, and now she took both hands, placing them on her bare legs. He appraised her, from the ginger tuft of hair at her center, up her flat stomach, the perfect size and shape of her perky breasts, her bare shoulders, and then her eyes.

"Anna, you don't—"

"But I want," she whispered, moving her hands up his arms as she crawled into his lap. "I know I'm not much to look at—" She started when his fingers caught her chin, and she looked up at him, eyes wide.

"You are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on." He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, pulling her into his lap, her legs straddling him, and she could feel his excitement rub against her center through his pants. Holding him a fraction tighter and slipping her tongue passed the barrier of his lips, Anna ground her hips against his lap. Kristoff's heart leapt in his throat, a growl ripping through his chest as he moved his hand down from her hip to the curve of her behind, squeezing gently.

Anna sighed against his lips, trailing kisses down his jawline, neck, and stopping at his pulse point, suckling gently. "Anna…" Kristoff leaned her back against the pillows and pulled her gently away from his neck so that he could look at her. "You just say the word, and I'll stop, Anna…" he whispered seriously, his now chocolate eyes searching hers carefully.

She let her head fall back against the pillow, rolling her eyes a bit as a giddy grin danced across her lips. She locked her cerulean eyes back on his, full of mischievous passion. "I want you to start."

It was all he needed, and his lips her on hers again in searing hot kiss. She ran her hands down his arms before taking his hands and placing them on her chest. "Touch me, Kris…" she breathed against his lips. Another growl from him, and his mouth was on her chest, sucking one pert nipple between his lips, earning a whimper from the goddess underneath him. He worked her other with his fingers, pulling, tugging, pinching until she was writhing beneath him.

Anna was overwhelmed with a million amazing sensations, and she threw her head back with a mewl, one hand gripping his shoulder, the other tangled in his hair. She swore her heart would burst from her chest as Kristoff's lips left her breasts, kissing down her stomach. She raised her head and watched him, lips parted, breathing deep and hard as he made his way down to her thighs. "Kris…!"

She was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. And she was his. She deserved the best, and he would do whatever it took to see that she got it. He didn't know what kind of love life she had before, but whatever it was, he knew it wasn't good enough. Not for her. He wanted more than anything in the world to be what she needed. What she yearned for. And he was going to present his case now. He was going to treat her like the princess she was.

He placed hot kisses down her hips, skipping her center as he came to the inside of her thigh. He glanced up at her to see her watching him, her eyes hooded with lust and wonder. Had no man ever given her such a treat? Keeping one hand on her hip, he moved the other to grasp her hand, lacing their fingers as he finally ran his tongue agonizingly slow up her pink folds. He felt her shudder as a gasp escaped her lips and he smiled as he kissed her softly before finding that little bundle of nerves, sucking in between his lips.

Anna let out a yelp, electricity shooting through her veins as he sucked at her nub, having never felt anything half as gorgeous as she was feeling now. She squeezed his hand, her hips canting upwards to his lips, begging for more. "Oh, Kristoff… yes, PLEASE." He probed his tongue between her folds now, bringing his thumb up to circle the bundle of nerves, and that was when she felt it. The overwhelming urge jump from the proverbial precipice from which she stood, and now she had both hands in his as she rode through her climax, fireworks flashing behind her eyes, her body shaking from the intensity of it all.

Kristoff looked up from between her legs, licking his lips, to see her head limp against the pillow, eyes closed, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. He cautiously planted kisses back up her stomach before scooping her up and holding her securely in his arms, brushing the sweaty hair from her forehead. He kissed beneath her ear, her forehead, her nose, and lastly, her lips. "Hey… you still with me?" he whispered, grinning from ear to ear at the beautiful woman in his arms.

Anna's eyes fluttered open, a goofy grin spreading across her lips. "Kris… that was… WOW," she mumbled, blushing as she nuzzled her face against his neck, grinning like a fool.

He chuckled and nudged her chin back up with his thumb and forefinger. "So, good then?"

Anna nodded. "Very good." They were quiet a moment, and Anna boldly slid her hand down his chest to rest against the bulge below his hips. She heard his breath catch, and she looked up at him, running her fingers up his length. "It was very good," she whispered against his lips, "but I want more."

If he wasn't hard as a rock before, he was now, as he pulled her flush against his body, kissing her greedily. He positioned himself back between her legs, and they both sat up, lips still connected as they both pulled at the ties of his pj pants, pulling them down over his hips. He pulled away only get them the rest of the way off, giving Anna a chance to look. He heard a moan hum in the back of her throat, and he paused, looking at her. Her bottom lip was situated between her teeth as he eyed his hardened member, and her little fingers were moving slowly down between her legs.

"Ah-ah-ah…" Kristoff smirked, pushing her back down, gently, against the pillows, moving her hands over her head. "That's my job, Feisty." Anna felt the anticipation literally pooling between her legs as he lowered himself down. He rubbed the head of his cock against her clit, his pre-cum mixing with her own wetness. He was about to explode just from that, and watching her reaction.

Anna cupped his face, whimpering. "Kris, don't tease me." She opened her eyes and their intense gaze met and held. "I need you inside of me."

She didn't even make it to the end of her demand before he sheathed himself into her tight heat. Anna cried out, her hands planting themselves on his shoulders. With as much will power as he could, Kristoff stayed stock still, keeping an eye on her features. Her brows were knit together, her breathing erratic, and when she looked up at him, her eyes were wet. "Anna, sweetheart…?"

"I'm okay. I just… give me a second." Kristoff nodded, and he carefully lifted her up so that he was on his haunches, Anna straddling his lap. "Mmmm…" she hummed as her arms wrapped around his shoulders, both lovers cheek to cheek. He held her tightly, as secure as he could, arm around her waist, and a hand cradling her head. "Move…" she whispered in his ear.

He kept it slow, easy, restraining himself to gentle thrusts. And then he hit a most delicious spot that nearly made Anna see stars. "Move, damn it…!" she gasped before a long moan fell from her lips.

"As you wish, Princess."

His thrusts became more rapid as they found their rhythm. Kristoff brought his lips back to hers, and she melted into him as she rocked against his hips. Never had she felt so regal, so important, so beloved. Kristoff had showered her with attention, with pleasure. Not only here and now, but ever since the day she met him. She was about to thank the gods for that awful excuse for an ex that brought her into Kristoff's world, when she felt that same familiar sensation. "Kristoff…!" she warned.

The broad-shouldered blonde placed open-mouthed kisses down her neck, still thrusting in and out as he lowered her back down to the bed just as she climaxed once more, and as he helped her ride it out, he too came, a long, guttural groan sailing from his lips as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, still inside of her as they came down together.

He felt a kiss on each closed eye lid, his forehead, his nose, his chin, and then his lips. He opened his eyes to see the stunning young woman to whom he had given up his heart. He gave her a goofy grin. "Tell me about it, Stud," she teased, kissing him sweetly.

They were quiet a moment, foreheads together, both looking into the other's eyes, both trying to convey so many words through just a glance. Anna twisted a finger around one of his golden locks, her other fingers swirling the tufts on hair on his chest.

"Don't leave me," she whispered.

"Come with me," he pleaded.

"I don't have a job."

"We'll find you one."

"What about Elsa?"

A beat. "We'll figure it out," he relented, kissing her lips with conviction. "We have to. I… I think I'm in love with you."


	15. Chapter 15

**((A/N: hey guys. sorry for the delays between chapters. i keep falling into a funk that keeps me from doing much of anything, especially writing. i know what direction i'm going with this fic, it just had to be transferred to "paper." This is un-edited, so PMs would be awesome if you happen to see a boo-boo. Much love, and thank you for the reviews. Please keep them coming!))**

"You said ' _Thank you_?!'"

The phrase echoed through the modern loft, assaulting the redhead's ears. "What was I supposed to say?!" Anna shot back, rather panicked.

"Not that!"

Anna sighed, eyes closed tightly, eyebrows furrowed in a pained expression, as she sunk down into the living room couch. "I panicked, Else. I had just had mind-blowing sex, for the first time, mind you, and I was exhausted and sleepy, and in this kind of dream-like state. I just… grinned, said thank you, and nodded off…" She looked over the back of the couch sheepishly at her sister who was standing at the bar, sipping on orange juice. "That's not *so* bad, is it?"

"As I told you before, I didn't necessarily need all of the details of your night, but now that I do, he and I will certainly be having a talk…" she muttered dryly.

"Elsaaaaa…!" she groaned, letting herself fall back onto the couch.

"But no, you're right, it's not that bad." She paused a minute, taking a sip of orange juice as she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, taking a seat in a large armchair. "Except you left his place this morning before he even woke up. If I were him, it would seem like a one night stand."

Anna jerked up on the couch, red hair wild from trying to burry herself under the cushions. "What?!"

"Calm down, Anna, he's got to know you're nothing like that." Anna fell back on the couch, face first, and the sisters were silent for a moment. "Hmm…"

"What?" Anna's muffled voice came from the couch cushion.

"No, it's nothing," she said with uncertainty, her brows knitted with confusion. "Only I just—do you really think it was a good idea for him to let that slip knowing he's going to be moving away soon?" She hated to be the bearer of bad news, but this was her baby sister they were talking about, and above all else, she must help guard her heart!

Anna went rigid. "Oh…" She slowly sat up, hugging her knees, braided hair a mess.

"Oh?" Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"About that…" Anna sucked in a deep breath and let the next sentence out all at once, and very quickly, "HE-KIND-OF-SORT-OF-ASKED-ME-TO-MOVE-WITH-HIM-I-THINK." Her cheeks were bright red.

Elsa sat up straight, placed her glass on the table next to her, crossed her legs and placed her hands in her lap. Grown-up Elsa was in the house, and Anna's anxiety level was sky rocketing. "I see."

"Look, Else, I'm gonna need a lot more than that…" the redhead pleaded, bright blue eyes big and round as she tugged at her own braids.

"I'm not exactly sure what it is you want me to say, Anna. You're a young woman, grown up and completely capable of making your own decisions. But have you really thought this through?"

Anna's chest was tightening with nerves. "W-what do you mean?"

"Do you have a job lined up in New York?" she asked quite serenely.

"Um… No, I guess I don't…" she replied, defeated for a moment. "But come on, there are plenty of opportunities in New York! I could audition! Make costumes!"

Elsa sighed. "Anna, you can't expect to rely on Kristoff to get you a job at the theatre as Hans has done."

"Um, that one stung…"

"I'm not trying to hurt you." She got up and moved over to the couch next to Anna. "I'm trying to help you."

"I know…"

"So, okay… Auditions. Do you have headshots? Resumé? And do you have an equity card? This is Broadway, baby; principle roles are all a part of Actor's Equity Association. Unless you are super lucky and in the right place at the right time. Which rarely ever happens."

"When did you become such the expert?" Anna pouted stubbornly as she rested her chin on her pale knees.

"I'm just trying to be realistic here. Show me that you're thinking through every possible factor. It's not fair to live off of Kristoff's wages. You've been official for, what, a week?"

"But he's perfection, Else…" she breathed, her thoughts suddenly drowning in him. He loved her. He actually loved her. "I think I love him, too."

Elsa smiled. "I could have told you that." She hugged her sister to her. "I think you'd be a hit in New York. Just make sure you have a plan before you go. Remember making me promise that I wouldn't help you financially unless it was life or death?" she asked, nudging her gently.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember…" She looked up at her sister, a sudden sadness in her eyes. They just reunited. "What about you?"

Elsa chuckled a bit, cupping Anna's freckled cheeks. "Anna, my dear, sweet Anna… I built my firm as a branch. There's one in San Francisco, Chicago, here in Denver, and New York," she grinned before kissing Anna's forehead. "I may or may not have a private jet. I'll come see you whenever I want!"

"Elsa!" Anna wrapped her arms around her big sister, squeezing her in a tight hug. "I love you," she grinned, ear to ear.

"And I, you."

Anna jumped when she felt her cell go off in her pocket. She slipped it out and saw Kristoff's name and photo flashing across the screen. She ran a hand through her wild hair, sinking back down into. "It's him…"

"I'll leave you to it, then… I've got to go to the office today, anyway." Elsa mussed Anna's already wild hair and made to leave for the firm.

—

"Hey," she started softly when she answered the phone, her free arm hugging her torso.

"Hey there, Feisty. I thought we had a breakfast date?" He sounded well enough.

"Elsa needed my help with a few things, and I didn't want to wake you."

"Oh, well that's fine." Silence. "Anna, look, about last night—"

"It was wonderful," she interrupted, not bringing up what he really meant. "Kristoff, I… I never knew I could feel that way…" It was true. She wanted nothing more than to wake up to him and do it again. But she was scared. Scared of that "L" word. But she didn't know how to explain that to him.

He chuckled a bit, and Anna could hear a smile in his voice. "I'm… I'm glad to hear that."

"You're blushing, aren't you?" she asked, biting her lower lip to contain her own grin, earlier worries forgotten.

"...Of course I'm not…"

"You hesitated!" she giggled.

"Hush, you!" He laughed a bit, and both felt more at ease. "Anna, I have something to tell you. But I want to do it in person."

"Oh." She grew nervous with his change in tone. Was this about last night? "Well, sure, Kris."

"Does Elsa mind if I steal you for lunch?"

"She had to go in to the office. So… please do," she smiled.


	16. Chapter 16

"Anna…"

"Hmm?" The pads of her little fingers were moving frantically over the keyboard of her iPhone. Her search engine was on fire, looking for everything from job offers, auditions, and seamstress position interviews, all in New York, to what to include in one's portfolio and how to put together an audition resume. Oh, and then there were headshots… _Do I need to get them done and over with here in Denver, or wait and find someone in New York? Definitely here… here is cheaper…_

"Anna…" It was softer this time, and a large, warm hand closed over her little hands and phone. She was pulled from her trance, and her blue eyes met honey. The car was stopped at a red light. "What in the world are you doing? You haven't spoken since you got in the car…"

Anna saw a tinge of hurt in those big beautiful eyes, and a blush crept over her cheeks in shame. "I-I'm sorry, Kris. It's nothing important. I'm sorry…" she repeated, dropping her phone in her purse before holding his hand with both of hers.

"It's okay, Babe. I just want to make sure everything is okay." He squeezed her hand affectionately as he continued to drive.

She smiled over at him. "I'm okay. I'm with you." Kristoff smiled back, pulling her hand to his lips.

About twenty minutes later, they were at a simple little cafe in downtown Denver, their lunches already ordered. Now it seemed like Kristoff was the one with something on his mind. "Hey." Anna scooted around in their little circle booth and placed her hand just above his knee. "You okay there, big guy?" she grinned. "You look like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs," she teased.

Kristoff couldn't help but laugh at that. "That was pretty cute…"

"Well *I'm* pretty cute," she beamed.

Kristoff put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, using his free hand to cup her cheek, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her lips. "Yes, you are, Feisty. I'll have to agree with you on that one."

Anna felt the flutter of her stomach as his lips met hers, and she swore she could have melted on the spot if it were possible. "So come on, spill," she commanded, snuggling close. Her heart sunk in her chest when his smile faded. He took her hand with his free one and started tracing circles on the back of her hand.

"Um. Well… I know what show I'll be building for," he said, nodding a bit.

"Oh? What show?"

"It's a premiere, actually," he continued. "Hasn't been done on Broadway yet."

"And that show would be…?"

"Anastasia."

Anna's eyebrows shot up, a grinned spreading across her lips. "Are you really!? Kris, that's great! Oh my goodness, that is one of my absolute favorite movies! How exciting!" He mirrored her smile, her giddiness contagious. She laughed a little bit, relieved. "You scared me, Kristoff, I thought you were going to be giving me bad news or something!"

Kristoff's smile faded once again. "Actually, Anna… that's not what I wanted to tell you." Anna swallowed hard, suddenly feeling uncomfortably warm. She didn't press him on, but she didn't need to. "I know we talked about how it would probably be a month or two before I'd have to move, but things have changed. They not only want me to construct the sets, but to design them also! For a new show!" She could see his excitement, but only for a second or two before his face fell again. "I have to move on Tuesday, Anna."

Anna was quiet for a long time. Her eyes lowered to his chest, and then finally to her hands. It was Sunday. He was leaving in two days. Things were just starting to get serious between them. She was falling for him, hard, and he had already confessed how he felt about her. Her fears were becoming a reality. He was going to take this job and leave her. She felt that unwanted sting behind her eyes, and Kristoff squeezed her a bit closer. "Anna, baby, please say something…"

She forced a smile, and it was as if that was the gate holding back the flood of tears from her eyes. "That's so great, Kris! I'm so proud of you! So… so… so happy!" The sob tightening in her chest broke, and she fell against him.

"Oh, Sweetheart…" He pulled her closed, holding her tight. "Shh, Anna, please don't cry."

"Christmas is in two weeks… I wanted Christmas with you, Kristoff…" Another sob shook her small frame, and his big hand rubbed up and down her back.

He flagged down the waitress, canceling their order, and she was very understanding as she took a glance at the disheveled Anna. He got them out of the cafe before sweeping Anna up into his arms. She didn't know where he was taking her, but she didn't care. Her face was buried against his chest, her little hands gripping his plaid shirt tightly.

When he finally sat her down, it was in his lap, on the same bench in front of the same lake from which they spent their first evening together outside of the theatre. "I'm sorry, Kris. I'm so sorry, I'm being such a baby…" she apologized with a pout.

"I knew it wasn't going to be easy, for either of us. I want you with me, Anna. And I know it may not happen for a while, but I do." He snuggled her close against the brisk, cold air, kissing the top of her head. "I-I don't know if I should really say this, but I've said worse in the passed 24 hours, so I don't see what it will hurt. I keep thinking of a nice little apartment in the city, Anna. It's perfect. Right over the fresh produce. Around the corner from the flower shop. Times Square just a few blocks away. A little kitchen, living room, one bed, one bath. Sven, lounging in the sun on the balcony. And you, Anna." She looked up, the two of them nearly nose-to-nose. "You, putting fresh flowers on the table, showering me with kisses when I come home from work. The both of us cooking together, spending our nights together…"

Anna's heart sprung back to life, and she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips hard against his. He pulled her close, reciprocating the kiss with ardor. "Sounds like a dream," she whispered against his lips. "A dream that probably won't happen for a while…"

"Hey, hey… Stop that." He gave her another quick kiss. "We will work it out. I promise. Christmas, we'll be together. I will demand that time off to come back home to you. You have my word, Anna Andersen."

—

 _"This is the final boarding call for passengers Kristoff Bjorgman and Fred Collins, booked on flight 372A to New York City. Please proceed to Gate 25 immediately. The final checks are being completed, and the captain will order for the doors of the aircraft to close in approximately five minutes time. I repeat. This is the final boarding call for Kristoff Bjorgman and Fred Collins. Thank you."_

"You can't have him…" Anna mumbled into Kristoff's chest as she held him tight around his middle. She felt the warmth of Kristoff's chuckle flood through her, warming her from head to toe.

"I've gotta go, Feisty…" he grinned half-heartedly.

Anna looked up at him, unhooked her arms from his middle and jumped up into his arms, legs wrapping around his hips, hugging him tightly. "I miss you already," she whispered in his ear before cupping his face, pulling him into a long, passionate kiss. He was caught by surprise, but he held her close, losing himself in her lips.

"Mr. Bjorgman?"

He pulled away quickly, blushing, Anna's forehead drop against his shoulder with a groan. "Th-that's me."

"We need for you to board at this time, sir." She was giving them a sad smile. Anna wanted to wipe it off her face.

"Okay, I'm coming." He looked down at Anna, and released gently to the ground, only to discover that she wasn't moving an inch. He chuckled again. "Spider monkey, I have to go. I'll call you when I land. And we'll FaceTime every night. I promise." Anna reluctantly let her feet back down to the ground, pulling away so that only their hands were connected now. "I love you, Anna…" he whispered. She jerked her head up to look in his eyes. "I love you so much."

"Kris, I—" Another sob, and he was being led away, Elsa taking his place as Anna wrapped her arms around her sister. She watched as the attendant checked his license and ticket, Kristoff not paying a bit of attention. He was still looking at Anna. He blew her a kiss before they moved him along, and then he was gone.

She had missed her chance to really tell him how she felt. Which meant she had to get to New York. And soon.


	17. Chapter 17

**((i do apologize for my long leave of absence. i think i'm back! and unfortunately, this is just a filler chapter. hopefully you won't be waiting long for the next one! thanks for your patience! reviews welcomed and appreciated!))**

Anna stood, staring up at the flight of cold, metal stairs as tiny snowflakes swirled around her. To her left, the big, curly-headed pilot was going over logistics with ground control, and to her right were a couple of guys loading her luggage, shouting to each other over the roar of the jet engine. Two large duffle bags and her back pack, which… wait a minute… the zipper was undone.

She watched as her black portfolio slipped from its pocket and fell, its spine landing with a crack on the pavement. Eyes like saucers, she hurried towards the men. One picked up the book, still in deep conversation, and began using it to point to the north as said conversation seemed to turn into an argument.

"I… excuse me!" Anna jumped up grabbing the portfolio. Both men quieted and looked down at the meek redhead. She hugged the book to her chest, her tiny feet moving her slowly backwards. "I'll just, uh… I'll keep this with me… Thanks!"

She hurried back over to the stairs, her cheeks burning, to see Elsa moving her way, a huge smile on her face. Anna's heart was clenched tightly in her chest in anticipation; in fear of the unknown. Was she really doing this?

"Well... Are you ready?!"

Anna exhaled, her breath forming a cloud in front of her. Yep. She was really doing this. She shrugged her shoulders and nodded, noting the snow crystals that lightly coated her sister's naturally platinum, blond hair. Yeah… I guess I am!" she answered with a nervous little grin.

Elsa pulled her into a big hug. "I'm so proud of you, Anna," she said gently in her little sister's ear. "You've done such an incredible job while you've been here, what with the theatre and all." She pulled away and looked down at the redhead, smoothing her two braids before resting her hands on Anna's shoulders. "And I'm so happy that you came to stay with me for as long as you did, and that we became closer."

"Oh, Elsa…" she choked, hugging her sister again. "I'm sorry this happened so quickly! I hate that I'm leaving you so soon! And I know our deal was for me to never ask you for any financial help, to never ask to use your personal jet or penthouse in New York City, or Paris, or Tokyo unless you offered, but—"

"Shh, Anna!" The blond laughed melodically. "I *am* offering. Kristoff loves you, and you love him. Consider this my Christmas gift to you. And I *will* see you on Christmas Day, don't you worry about that. Now," she said, pushing her sister gently towards the stairs, "get up those steps, onto that jet, wow those directors, and find your Kristoff," she added with a wink.

"Thank you, Elsa!" she gushed, her cheeks flushing as she gave her one last hug.

The pilot followed Anna onto the jet and led her to the cabin she'd be in for the ride. They walked into what appeared to be a fairly large living area, complete with couches, chairs, and a flatscreen television. Anna's blue eyes widened in wonder as they scanned the room. It was all in white, except for the accent colors, which were many different shades of blue. One couch was in the shape of a semi-circle, a table situated at the center. On the table sat a gorgeous, glass chess set, one side clear glass, the other frosted.

"If you will take a seat here, Miss Andersen," the pilot, Oaken, said, gesturing to a recliner-like seat with the proper safety restraints. "Just until we get in the air."

Once seated and buckled, Anna let her head fall back against the seat, closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. The tightness in her chest began to dissipate, and lack of sleep from the last week crept up on her. Soon she'd be in New York. Soon she'd be with Kristoff.

Anna's eyes fluttered open, startled at the turbulence of the plane's decent. When had she fallen asleep? She looked out of her window to see the New York City skyline, looking cold and distant under the steel-colored clouds that hung low under the city. "Oh boy…" she breathed.

Before she knew it, they were stationary. "Miss Andersen?" The pilot startled her out of her thoughts. He smiled kindly. "We've arrived, ma'am. Mr. Snjøkall is waiting for you at the end of the aerobridge."

Anna unbuckled, giving the pilot a funny look as she allowed him to help her up. "Who?"

"Miss Andersen has appointed her New York P.A. to assist you until you are in the hands of Mr. Bjorgman."

In the hands of Mr. Bjorgman. She nearly shuddered with a dark excitement at the thought. "Oh. Of course. Wow, she thought of everything…" she chuckled, running a hand over her sleep-mussed hair. The pilot nodded, that smile never leaving his face. "Thank you so much, Mr. Oaken. It's been a pleasure."

He bowed his head. "You are most welcome, Miss Andersen."

"Miss Andersen is my sister," she grinned, that flutter of excitement at what she was about to embark on returned to her belly. "Call me Anna."

Again he nodded. "Miss Anna."

The ginger giggled and rolled her eyes, assuming that was probably the most progress she was going to get on that matter for now. The formality of it all almost made it uncomfortable, but the pilot's genuine kindness made it bearable. She braced herself against the frigid gale that nearly knocked her over as she walked out onto yet another iron staircase, clutching her portfolio tightly. At the bottom stood a tall, lanky thing of a man in a huge peacoat, bouncing on the balls of his feet, hands jammed into his pockets.

"Miss Andersen!" he called to her over the present gust of wind, followed by a little dusting of snowflakes.

"Anna!"

"What?"

Anna chuckled and waited until she reached the bottom of the stairs before she answered again. "It's Anna. Just call me Anna. And you can skip the 'miss.'"

He nodded, his horn-rimmed glasses falling down the length of his long nose. "Of course, Anna," he said, taking her hand in his and shaking it quickly. "Come now, we can continue introductions inside! Perhaps with a nice, Venti hot chocolate?"

Anna's eyes lit up. "With marshmallows?!"

"How else?!"

Anna knew right then they were going to get along just fine. Once inside, they spotted a Starbucks, and after a few more minutes, they were seated at a table, warming their hands on their drinks, Anna's portfolio between them. "Oh, gracious, how silly of me!" the young man exclaimed. "I should probably introduce myself! I am your sister's administrative and personal assistant, the latter when she's actually here in the city. My name is Olaf Snjøkall. I'm rather fond of first names myself, so we'll just stick to Olaf, shall we?" he grinned.

Anna nodded her head jovially, a whip cream mustache gracing her upper lip. "Sounds good to me," she hummed with a grin as the warmth began to return to her fingers and toes. "One thing, though… do you mind if we take these to go? I'm, uh… kind of anxious to find someone…" she blushed.

Olaf smiled knowingly and handed Anna her book. "You got it, Anna!" She made an excited squeak as they got up and hurried from the shop. Olaf took her arm and linked it with his. "And I know just where to look!"


	18. Chapter 18

**((Thanks for stickin' with me! Here's the next chapter. Don't kill me for the end.** ;) **))**

Anna stepped out of the cab, wide-eyed and breathless as she turned a very slow 360 in Times Square. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. It wasn't until this very moment that she made time to acknowledge the fact that she had never been to New York City before. Building after building was covered in advertisements, Broadway musical billboards, and LED screens showing everything from the time and weather conditions to Breaking News reports.

And the thing that made it that much more magical was the fact that it was Christmas! There was a light snowfall, and though it was still early afternoon, Anna could tell there were Christmas lights everywhere. Lush green garland, Christmas trees in windows, festive scarves, sweaters and hats passing by in red and green blurs. It was the most wonderful time of the year, and she was in New York City, ready to tell the man of her dreams that she was in love with him.

But first things first.

"Alright, so you've got your portfolio?"

She snapped out of her trance and did her best to focus on Olaf and the task at hand. She did a little bounce on the balls of her feet, portfolio hugged to her chest, and she nodded. "Check."

"Resume?"

"Check."

"Headshots? Sheet music, marked with any and all important liberties you plan to take, where to begin and where to end?"

"Check, check, and check." She was grinning now. No wonder Elsa had hired him; he was on task and very thorough!

"Now remember," he continued, gently taking her elbow as he led her down the sidewalk, "these guys can be pretty hoity-toity. Most of them think their God's gift. Don't snap your fingers when giving your accompanist your tempo; he'll botch your whole audition." Anna looked at him with an "Oh!" expression. He nodded solemnly. "Yeah. I knew a guy… it was awful."

They continued, turning down W 51st St, and there it was: The Gershwin Theatre. Suddenly, it felt harder to breathe, knots twisting and turning unpleasantly in her stomach. She had everything to lose. A costuming job, a role in the show, the love of her life… it could all go wrong very easily. If she didn't get a job or a role here, she'd have to completely reconfigure her plan, which made her even more nervous because, well, perhaps she should have come up with plan B before she left!

"Anna? Are you alright?" They were standing at the backstage door now, Anna completely unaware of how they got there.

She swallowed hard. "I just have to puke. It's no big deal," she murmured, staring at the fading letters on the door.

"Oh, nonsense. You'll be great. Just be you! Now, I've got to go run some errands for your sister, but I'll have my phone on me. Call me when you're done, and then we'll find your Kristoff," he added with a smile.

Despite the snow, Anna was suddenly warmed from her head all the way to her toes. "That sounds wonderful. Thank you so much, Olaf!" He opened the door for her, bid her a "Break a leg!", and she was on her way.

 _Heart don't fail me now,_

 _Courage, don't desert me..._

It was eerily silent, and for a moment, Anna was afraid she may have been in the wrong place. If she thought she was nervous before, she couldn't have been more wrong. Knots twisted painfully in the pit of her belly, and she could feel the first signs of sweat touch her brow. So, she did what she always did these days when she felt scared, or uneasy.

"Well, hey there, Feistypants!"

A much more pleasant warmth skipped through her veins, much like thousands of fuzzy bunny slippers, and her lips curled up into a big smile. "Hiya, Handsome." She leaned against the cool brick of one of the backstage corridors.

 _Don't turn back now that we're here._

"How's my favorite redhead? It feels like forever since we've talked…"

Anna giggled. "Kristoff, that was late last night… Or was it early this morning?"

"See?" She could hear the smile in the timbre of his voice. "Forever."

"Mmm, forever…" she echoed dreamily.

"So?"

"Oh. Yes. Right," she cleared her throat. "Me. How I am. My well-being." He chuckled a bit over the phone, and it wasn't until now that she heard power saws and tools in the background, and the fear crept back. "I'm doing okay. Missing you terribly. Did I catch you at a bad time?" she asked hesitantly. Was he here at the theatre?

 _People always say,_

 _Life is full of choices,_

 _No one ever mentions Fear…_

"Absolutely not. I'd drop everything to talk to you, Anna." His voice had grown softer, and it gave her chills. "You know that."

It was so incredibly hard not to tell him she was in the same city. To not find him and smother him in affection and take him back to Elsa's Penthouse and never leave.

 _Arms will open wide,_

 _I'll be safe and wanted,_

 _Finally home where I belong..._

But she couldn't. Not yet. First things first.

"Well… I just wanted to hear your voice. I know you're busy. I feel much better now," she said, her smile evident in her tone.

"I'm glad you called, Anna. I miss you so much."

"I miss you, too."

"I'll call you tonight, okay?"

"I'd love that. G'bye, Kris."

"I love you, Anna."

She slipped the phone in her pocket. It felt wrong not to tell him that she felt the same way. But that was part of the surprise. Again: not yet. She gently pushed herself off of the wall, clenching her black portfolio between crossed arms, and took a deep breath. It was now or never.

 _One step at a time,_

 _One hope, then another,_

 _Who knows where this road may go?_

She sat in a creaky, wooden chair in the empty greenroom where she was instructed to wait, staring at the stained, art deco carpet, her back straight as a pole. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest, nearly deafening. There was no one else around. Was she the only one left to audition? What if they brought her in there only to tell her that they had seen everyone they needed?

"Anna Andersen?" She hadn't even heard the door open.

On to find my future…

"This way, please." Anna jumped up, stumbling on a patch of bubbled up, old carpet, blushing furiously as she followed the stage hand. She was led up a couple of small staircases and a number of doors before the stage hand gestured for her to walk ahead of him. She passed him, walking between the black curtains of the right wing of the Gershwin Theatre stage.

All breath left her completely. Her wide, blue hues surveyed the sea of plush, purple seats. And even though the house lights were up, bright, white stage lights held the petite redhead center stage.

"Name?"

Anna looked back down, blinded by the footlights, and held her hand over her eyes to look at her audience. Three people sat at a table propped up over a couple of seats in the fourth row. There was a middle-aged man and woman on either side of an older, balding man with circular spectacles and a perfectly trimmed, silver, walrus mustache.

"Um. Hi. My name is—"

"KAI, will you please?!" the older man interrupted, fingers pressed against his temples, as a power saw roared from somewhere in the distance. The other gentleman calmly took his cell and dialed a number, all the while Anna stood, quite awkwardly, onstage.

 _Let this be a sign..._

"You're lucky it's me calling and not Weselton. Look, we've only one last audition, so if you could please give us one more second… Yes, good." He hung up the phone, and it was the woman who spoke this time.

"You're name, please, followed by what you plan to sing for us."

 _Let this road be mine..._

"My name is Anna Andersen," she began, jumping when the same stage hand that helped her earlier appeared beside her, holding his hand out for her portfolio. She fumbled nervously with it before opening it and pulling out her sheet music before handing it over. "A-and I'll be singing from the musical, Journey to the Past."

Kristoff sighed, leaning against what was now only a large plywood box, somewhat irritated that he was being told to put a hold on his progress once again. Couldn't they hold auditions somewhere else? At another time, maybe? Or how about his own shop off-site? Eh… that could get hairy when it came to transferring sets…

Suddenly, his blond, shaggy head jerked up at the sound of the voice echoing off-stage. The wood shop was just behind the actual stage, so they heard everything. He shoved off the box and went running to the shop door that led backstage, and froze in the stage left wing, eyes nearly bugging out of his head, his heart jumping in his chest.

There, on stage, was the most beautiful, stunning, redhead with the most melodic voice he had ever heard. And she was _his_.

 _And bring me home at last._


	19. Chapter 19

((Sorry about the MIA status! Adulting is hard and takes up a lot of time... Enjoy!))

Kristoff looked down at his watch. 11:53 PM. He had arrived at Laguardia around noon, and he had just then reached his new living quarters. It had been a nightmare from the moment he had coaxed Anna from his arms a million years ago (or at least it felt like that long), before heading down the airbridge to his plane. For starters, he was assigned a middle seat. Kristoff had always been one to keep to himself. This seat meant a number of unpleasant possibilities: a chatty seat mate, a sleeping, DROOLING seat mate with no concept of personal space, or one of the over-anxious, I-need-another-sick-bag-every-ten-minutes seat mates. He had forgotten to consider the seat mate with the over-active bladder that HAD to sit by the window and refused to move, which meant getting up and crawling over him every twenty minutes—until the blonde with a pixie cut returned from the bathroom and sat down next to him.

Over the course of the three hour and forty-five minutes between Denver and New York, the girl and her thimble-sized bladder crawled over for the lavatory a total of six times, tried to have a conversation with him, to which he thankfully avoided by acting as though the music blaring from his ear buds was too loud. At least the side aisle seat mate SEEMED to be perfectly normal, until he spilled his orange juice in Kristoff's lap.

He took a shuttle van out of the airport, and that proved to be the worst decision he could have ever made. Although a cab would have been more expensive, it would have been so much faster. For the last ten hours he was stuck in a freezing macabre torture chamber disguised as a shuttle van, with a demonic driver who clearly believed he was operating an amusement park ride instead of driving a van. Except for the horn… He was rather fond of the damn horn, and it was almost always accompanied by a demonstration of his colorful vocabulary. The van was filled to the brim with other passengers, mostly foreigners from what Kristoff cared to gather, and as was his luck, their destinations were first on the list. And of course, once they reached the actual city, it was nothing but a cacophony of more car horns, yelling, tires screeching to a halt, sirens, everything. Kristoff sunk down in his seat and focused all of his attention on the memory of Anna. The thought of her, the thought of seeing her for Christmas, of holding her again, of tracing his fingers along the many freckles that only he was allowed to see, got him through the never-ending roller coaster that was the shuttle van.

And now he was here. Standing at the door of his new living arrangement the theatre had set up for him. They thought they were being nice, but in reality, they couldn't have made his life more miserable. The very small, very cramped, dank and moldy apartment wouldn't have been bad, he supposed, but considering the fact that he would have to share the place with two strangers, he was less than thrilled to say the least. Yes, they would be part of the team helping Kristoff's artistic visions come to life, basically his assistants. He'd much rather do all the grunt work himself, but seeing as this show was to debut on Broadway, he felt like the help might be worth something. However, that didn't mean he wanted to share a two-bedroom apartment with two guys he didn't know, especially since he'd have to spend all day with them at work too. Kristoff did not socialize. He kept to himself, and he always had. Until Anna. Anna had opened him up in a way he never thought possible. But only with Anna. Just Anna.

The two young men, around his age, had introduced themselves as Erik and Francis, who let him know rather quickly that he was to go by Frank. It took all of ten seconds to show Kristoff around. Four rooms: two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen-living area. And to his complete and utter horror, Erik pulled a vertical murphy bed out from the wall and told Kristoff that that was to be his room. In the middle of the living room. No privacy whatsoever. The three men stood around awkwardly for a moment or two before Frank finally relented that he was going to bed, followed by Erik, which now left Kristoff by himself, staring at his bed.

The space, in all honesty, was fine by him. He wasn't used to having much, and he had a bed, so it would suffice. It was the social aspect of the whole ordeal that he despised. That and the fact that Anna and Sven weren't there with him. He sighed and sat on the edge of his bed, plopping his duffel down in front of him. He unzipped it and pulled out a picture of Anna. He relaxed a bit, grinning down the smiling redhead in the photo, and laid back in his new bed.

—

"Whoa, who's the babe, Bjorgman?"

Kristoff looked up from the stove, where he was cooking eggs for breakfast, to see Erik goggling at his photo of Anna. Something like jealousy ripped through his chest as he took four large strides across the apartment to jerk the photo from his hand. "My girlfriend," he grumbled impatiently, placing the photo under his pillow before lifting his murphy bed back into the wall. "Don't touch my things."

Erik held up his hands in mock surrender. "Easy, Tiger!"

Kristoff could feel Erik staring a hole in the back of his head as he walked back over to his now ruined eggs. "Damn it…" he hissed, looking down at his watch. He needed to be gone for the theatre 5 minutes ago.

"Are you sure SHE is your girlfriend?" he chuckled. "Hey, Frank! Get a load of this! Bjorgman's got a girl! Or so he says." He looked back at Kristoff. "Who would date a grump like you? Especially someone as drop dead gorgeous as that! She looks way too… happy for you."

"Shut up, Erik," he grumbled, blushing and grabbing his messenger bag of sketches, the script, his iPad, etc. "I'm going early to the theatre." He stopped at the door and turned to Erik and now Frank, both looking quite amused. They actually weren't that bad, he discovered after two weeks, but they're constant ribbing was getting old. "Get your asses to the theatre in 20, or I'm docking your pay for the week."

—

Kristoff was vaguely aware of the brief ray of light behind him as someone else had made their way backstage. Erik and Frank had followed him. "Dude!" hissed Frank frantically. "We're not supposed to be here when they're auditioning! You know how pissy the director gets!" Erik tugged on his arm, but he didn't budge, his eyes still glued to the wonder standing center stage. "What is your problem, Bjorgman?!"

"It's her…" Kristoff breathed, and he felt the hands let go of him.

Both young men followed his eyes to the singing redhead on stage, and their own eyes grew big as saucers. "Holy shit, he wasn't lying…" Erik whispered, watching Anna's fluid motions as she sang, working her audience.

"Yo, cough it up!" Frank whacked Erik in the back good-naturedly and held out his hand. Erik rolled his eyes and slipped him a $20.

—

Anna held out her last note with gusto, her confidence returning near the middle of the song as she fell into her character. It was a different feeling altogether, being on stage instead of behind the scenes. Nothing compared to the adrenaline rush she experienced while in the limelight. She focused her attention back to the three individuals in front of her. Both the lady and gentleman on either side of the director looked somewhat surprised, and a small smile was on the woman's lips. That could be a good sign…right? The old man in the middle was furiously writing something down, probably on her resume, still looking as though he were in the biggest hurry.

"Very well, thank you Ms. Andersen. We'll be in touch." And just like that, he was scrambling over the seats, mustaches quivering, racing to get to the aisle before exiting the theatre house completely.

"Right… thank you…" she muttered, turning slightly to make her way through the pitch black wings of the backstage area again.

"Anna, dear." She looked back around and the woman was standing now at the lip of the stage. Anna took that as her cue to step forward. The woman was smiling and held a hand out to Anna, shaking gently. "It was a pleasure watching you perform today. I'm keeping my eye on you," she smiled kindly.

A blush flooded Anna's cheeks as she bent over to shake the lady's hand. "Oh, wow… thank you—"

"Gerda."

Anna smiled, suddenly giddy with hope. "Gerda."

She practically skipped back towards the darkened wings. The moment she passed through the middle wing, she screamed, frightened as something big and bulky swept her into the air. There was a mess of arms and legs, startled exclamations, and soothing, deep tones before she realized what was happening and where she was. "Oh…" she breathed, so high up in his arms that she braced her own on his broad shoulders, looking down at him. She gently took his face in her small hands, working from the hair at the nape of his neck, to his stubbled jaw that gave her goosebumps, before she let her fingers dance over his lips. "Kristoff…"

He lowered her just enough so that they were face to face, and now that her eyes were adjusting to the darkness, she could just make out his face. "Am I dreaming?" he whispered softly, his heart jumping in his chest. It nearly jumped out when a sudden squeal rang through his ears, but he couldn't even react properly before he felt her soft lips pressed eagerly against his. He wound his arms tighter around her, holding her close as he returned the gesture ardently. One hand grazed up her side and cupped her face, sliding into her hair as he slowly placed her back on the ground, never once breaking their kiss.

"You tell me," she sighed, grinning from ear to ear as her hands continued to brush over the details of his face, placing little kisses everywhere she could reach.

"What are you doing here?" Her fingertips were giving him the best kind of chill up his spine.

"I... missed you…" Those words were caught in her throat. Once again, they were at the tip of her tongue, and she couldn't spit it out. Gotta find a way around that. "I feel like I just got you, and then I lost you again. I came to be with you, Kris. I feel at home when I'm with you." It was the best thing he had ever heard. He picked her up again and spun her around before placing another kiss on her lips. "I love you so much, Anna."

"I—"

She was interrupted by Erik, clearing his throat rather loudly. She didn't know they had an audience, and she moved closer to Kristoff. "So… are you going to introduce us or not?" he asked with a smirk.

If looks could kill, Erik would have been a mere pile of ash. "No."

"Oh."

"Get back to work." Erik and Frank just looked at him stupidly. "NOW." He watched them, shaking his head in annoyance, as the two men scrambled back through the door leading to the set shop. He sighed and looked back down at Anna. "My roommates. They gave me roommates."

"What? Don't they know you hate people?" Her hands fell to his chest, reminding herself of the curves of muscle that lay beneath his black t-shirt.

"Hate's a strong word…" He took her hands in his on his chest.

"Strongly dislike."

"That." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "And the place is a dump…"

"Well…" she grinned up at him timidly, "why don't we pack you a bag and you can stay with me for the night?"

"God, yes, please!" he groaned before kissing her yet again. He had to be sure she was really there, standing in front of him looking like a breath of fresh air.

"You got it, Bjorgman."

—

Kristoff held Anna around the waist from behind as they rode the subway to his apartment. She was sending a text to Olaf, letting him know how her afternoon had turned out and that he was free for the night because she was with Kristoff. All she needed was the address to Elsa's loft, and the two would be set for the night.

"So who is this guy, and should I be worried?"

Anna jumped a bit in his arms, the surprise of his lips brushing against her ear sending shivers down her spine. She grinned coyly. "Why? You jealous?" She tipped her head back to look up at him as he looked down at her.

His grip on her waist tightened. "Don't test me, Red…" he hummed.

Anna chuckled lightly and turned around in his arms. "He's harmless, Mountain Man, don't worry. It's just Elsa's personal assistant. He was going to give us a ride to Elsa's loft, but I told him we could handle it."

"Well, good," he said, hugging her to him. "I wasn't in the mood for a fight."

—

When they reached the apartment, Kristoff hurried in before her, running to the kitchen -which, consequently, was a part of his room- swipe some of the dirty dishes on the counter into the sink. He was suddenly nervous. How in the world did he thing it was okay to bring her to this dingy hole in the wall that was a complete disaster. "I'm sorry, it's not clean-"

"Kristoff…"

"And it's small, my bedroom is in the freaking living room for God's sake-"

"Kristoff."

"And, let's be honest, there's probably a nest of roaches somewhere. Although I don't think those have nests, they probably just-" He stopped mid thought as he turned to see Anna stuffing his clothes, and everything of his in her reach, in his duffle bag. "Anna… what are you doing?"

"Packing all of your things," she replied simply.

Kristoff smirked, folding his arms across his chest as he moved to lean against the couch. "ALL of my things? Why's that?"

"I'm not about to let you stay here, Kris," she continued, as-a-matter-of-factly. "This place is a dump. I cannot believe they stole you away only to hole you up in this rat's nest."

"Anna…"

"I'm serious, Kristoff," she insisted, stuffing his shirts a little too roughly into the bag. "This is broadway, not pay-what-you-can at the playhouse."

"Anna."

"No, Kristoff, you're staying with me." She shouldered his bag and walked to the bathroom to gather his toiletries. "I'm not about to let the man I love sleep in this freezing, smelly—"

There was nothing but silence from the bathroom. Kristoff stood, eyes wide, his arms slowly dropping down to his sides. "What…What did you say?" His heart was in his throat. Did she just say what he thought she said? He heard the duffle bag hit the bathroom floor and watched as Anna shuffled out of the bathroom, cheeks red, clearly flustered, but a grin tugging at those perfect lips.

She fiddled with the hem of her shirt, watching her own fingers. Yes of course she meant to say it, but this wasn't how she imagined saying it for the first time. "You heard me," she said, an attempt to be sassy, but there was nothing but shyness in her tone. "I love you, you big oaf—HEY!" She was suddenly in the air, Kristoff spinning her a couple of times before hugging her to his chest. Anna let the laughter bubble in her throat as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close.

Kristoff's heart was soaring in his chest. He placed Anna back on the floor, only to pull her into a kiss that nearly took her breath away. "I love you, Anna. God, I love you."

"I love you, too, Kris." She grinned from ear to ear, eventually pulling away to grab his bag once more. "Now come on." He noticed her eyes were a fraction darker as she took his hand. "We have a lot of catching up to do, and a big ole penthouse to do it in." Kristoff's eyes were wide, mouth dry as cotton, as he followed his petit goddess out the door.

((Thanks for reading and for sticking with me! Comments and suggestions are always welcome!))


	20. Chapter 20

**Rated M for sexy times!**

"Can you just say it one more time?"

Anna snorted as she led her mountain of a man to the door of Elsa's New York City flat. "Oh my gosh, Kris, you're getting on my nerves!" she said through her teeth, though the grin on her lips betrayed her.

"Please?" he whined, smirking at the back of her head.

Anna rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, facing Kristoff. She reached up and grabbed a handful of his t-shirt at his chest and pulled him down, gently, to her level, until their noses touched. "Kristoff Bjorgman," she began in a low whisper, her eyes boring into his. "I, Anna Andersen, love you with every possible fiber of my being." His eyes were wide, and she couldn't tell if he was breathing or not, but the fact that she had this kind of affect on him excited her. Eyes still open, she placed a small, quick kiss on his lips before turning back to the door.

Kristoff watched her walk to the door, letting his gaze travel a bit south as she unlocked it. He finally let out the breath he was holding and followed her. He had been away from her for so long that the tiniest things she did drove him a little closer to the edge. Gods, he missed her, and he couldn't believe she was there, with him, at that very moment.

"Oh, look! Elsa had them decorate for Christmas!"

Kristoff followed after her, but he wasn't in the best state for concentration. He was vaguely aware that she was speaking to him, but all he could focus on was her petite figure flitting around the very clean, very neutral, modern penthouse. It was just now beginning to sink in; this woman planned, calculated, fought her way to an unfamiliar city across the country just to be with him. He realized now that every phone call or text that he had made to her today was while she was either in a car, on a plane, or even right before her audition.

And the audition! He knew very well that costuming was her first love. There was no way she just had a song -from the very show, mind you- sitting in her back pocket, memorized and polished for a broadway audition! He had been in the theatre business for a long time, and he knew the work that went into it to prepare. Resumes, headshots, a memorized piece, and most times a 1-2 minute monologue. She had begun planning this from the moment he left. Or even the moment she found out he was leaving. She had to have done.

"Kristoff, I'm trying to give you the tour, are you listening?"

He looked up out of his daze, Anna standing in the doorway of what he guessed was a bedroom, hands on her hips. "No," he responded, barely audible.

Anna frowned a bit, looking a bit confused as her hands fell to clasp in front of her, nervously. "W-what?" She wasn't sure what kind of look this was he was giving her, but it was severe and unwavering.

He couldn't wait any longer. He didn't care about the damn penthouse, the built in wine cellar, the ceiling-to-floor windows showing off the city, brilliant with lights, the huge bathtub complete with jets. No. Two weeks away from the love of his life -who also loved him, by the way, isn't that something- and all he wanted right now at this very minute was Anna.

Before Anna could make another noise, Kristoff was coming for her, in long strides, eyes dark and intense. His eyes bored into hers, making her heart race. Arousal was quickly pooling between her legs, her breath catching as she stumbled backwards. But he was there; Kristoff's arm was around her waist before gravity even thought about bringing her down. All in one swoop, he pulled her to him, threaded the fingers of his free hand through her hair, and kissed her hard. As she wrapped her arms around him, she not only heard but felt a growl move through his chest, making her weak in the knees. He sensed it and swept her up in his arms, taking her to the bed.

"Kris…" she whimpered against his lips.

His only response was another deep, sensual kiss as he laid her gently on the bed. He didn't want to tell her for the millionth time that he loved her and that he also appreciated this bold move of hers; he wanted to show her. He stood long enough to remove his shoes and the flannel shirt from over his wife beater before kneeling in between Anna's shivering legs.

She watched, breathless, as he took one of her calves in his hands, placing hot kisses above her knee and down as he removed her shoe, doing the same with the other. He then moved back to her lips, and Anna eagerly accepted him, shivering once more.

"Are you cold?" he whispered against her.

She shook her head quickly. "No. Just kiss me…!" she breathed back just before his lips crashed against hers once more. Fingers tangled in his hair, she let out a whimper as his hands squeezed her bare thighs before making their way up under her dress.

Her little moans were a driving force for Kristoff, and he redirected his lips to her neck, the little dip at her throat between her clavicles, continuing on down the valley between her breasts until her dress got in the way. He was getting impatient. Normally, foreplay with Anna was his favorite, but god, did he miss her, miss being one with her. He leaned up, hooking his fingers in her panties before sliding them down her soft, milky white legs. She sensed his urgency and sat up, pulling her dress over her head before undoing his belt buckle.

Kristoff shoved his pants and boxers down just enough to release his hardened cock, already dripping with pre cum. Anna, biting her lip, attempted to help him pull them off, but he gently pushed her back down on the bed. "Leave them… I can't wait any longer, Anna…"

Her name on his lips alone, in that tone, was enough to make her cum, but she resisted. By the time he was tip to hilt within her, Anna felt as though every nerve ending in her body was on fire. She wrapped her legs around his waist, unable to pull him close enough. "Kristoff!" He moved with an urgency that left her utterly breathless, his mouth working just as hard. His lips moved from her taut nipples to her mouth once more as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling them both up into a sitting position. Anna let out a shaky moan at the change of position, his tip hitting the sweetest spot.

Kristoff held her, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist, the other holding the back of her head as they kissed each other hungrily. His thrusts were moving faster, and she knew he was ready. He didn't even have to move his fingers to that sweet spot between her legs before her body seized up, riding out her orgasm, right along with him as he emptied himself into her with a thunderous growl.

—

It was a while before either of them spoke. Kristoff had wrapped her in a sheet and pulled her close, kissing as many freckles on her shoulders as he could while they both descended from their high.

Anna was lying on her back, eyes closed, smile tugging at her lips, when he raised himself to slightly hover over her on his side. "You okay, Feisty?" he whispered, brushing her cheekbone with his thumb.

She opened her eyes, her blue hues sparkling. "Are you kidding?" she replied softly. "That—I'm—You were…" She sighed, feeling giddy and complete. "I'm so okay," she decided, reaching up to move his sweaty bangs from his eyes.

He chuckled a bit and kissed the tip of her nose. "I know what you mean." His expression turned serious. "Anna, you coming here—"

"I had to, Kristoff," she interrupted, turning serious as well. "I knew the very first time you told me you loved me that I loved you, too. I was so afraid to say it, to get too carried away again. And then you left, and I still hadn't told you. I had to come—"

His lips were on hers again in a sweet, soft, lingering kiss. "I love you, Anna Andersen. You coming here to be with me is the best thing that has ever happened to me." Anna grinned and pulled him back down for another kiss. "And now that the business portion of the evening is out of the way, it's time to move on to pleasure…" he added with a devilish smirk as he lifted the covers and dove under them.

"Wait, what do you—Oh! Oh…" His lips were on her in an instant, and she melted into the mattress. "Oh, hmm…" she hummed, grinning as she gripped the sheets into her fists.


End file.
